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TIbe  Stubent’s  ©lb  Testament 


NARRATIVES  OF 
THE  BEGINNINGS  OF 
HEBREW  HISTORY 


THE  STUDENT’S  OLD  TESTAMENT 

LOGICALLY  AND  CHRONOLOGICALLY 
ARRANGED  AND  TRANSLATED 

BY 

CHARLES  FOSTER  KENT,  Ph.D.,  Litt.D. 

WOOLSEY  PROFESSOR  OF  BIBLICAL  LITERATURE  IN  YALE  UNIVERSITY 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  VOLUMES 

I.  Narratives  of  the  Beginnings  of  Hebrew  History.  (Now  Ready.) 

Introduction.  The  Beginnings  of  Human  History.  Traditional 
Ancestors  of  the  Hebrews.  Deliverance  of  the  Hebrews  from  Egypt. 
Life  of  the  Hebrews  in  the  Wilderness  and  East  of  the  Jordan.  Con- 
quest and  Settlement  of  Canaan. 

II.  Historical  and  Biographical  Narratives.  ( Now  Ready.) 

Introduction.  The  United  Monarchy.  History  of  Northern  Israel. 
History  of  Judah.  Re-establishment  of  the  Jewish  Community  in 
Palestine.  The  Maecabean  Struggle.  Life  of  the  Jews  of  the  Dis- 
persion. 

III.  Sermons,  Epistles,  and  Apocalypses  of  Israel’s  Prophets. 

(Now  Ready.) 

Introduction.  The  Prophets  of  the  Assyrian  Period.  Prophets  of 
Judah’s  Decline.  Prophets  of  the  Babylonian  Exile.  Prophets  of  the 
Persian  Period.  Prophets  of  the  Greek  and  Maecabean  Periods. 

IV.  Israel’s  Laws  and  Legal  Precedents.  (Now  Ready.) 

Introduction.  Constitutional  Laws.  Criminal  Laws.  Private 
Laws.  Humanitarian  Laws.  Religious  Laws.  Ceremonial  Laws. 

V.  The  Songs,  Hymns,  and  Prayers  of  the  Old  Testament. 

(Now  Ready.) 

Introduction.  Tribal  and  National  Songs.  Songs  of  Lamentation. 
Songs  of  Love  and  Marriage.  The  Kingly  and  Messianic  Psalms. 
Hymns  of  Praise  and  Thanksgiving.  Hymns  of  Adoration  and  Trust. 
Prayers.  Reflective  and  Didactic  Psalms. 

VI.  Proverbs  and  Didactic  Poems. 

Introduction.  Practical  and  Ethical  Observations  and  Precepts. 
Religious  Proverbs.  Gnomic  Essays.  Numerical  Enigmas.  Dis- 
cussions of  the  Problem  of  Evil.  Discussions  Regarding  the  Value  of 
Life  and  Its  Wise  Enjoyment.  Poems  Describing  Wisdom. 


$be  Stu&ent's  ©lb  Testament 


NARRATIVES 

OF 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  HEBREW  HISTORY 

FROM  THE  CREATION  TO  THE  ESTABLISHMENT 
OF  THE  HEBREW  KINGDOM 


BY 

CHARLES  FOSTER  KENT,  Ph.D. 


Wooltey  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  in  Yale  University 


WITH  MAPS  AND  CHRONOLOGICAL  CHART 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER  S SONS 

1918 


Copyright,  1904 * ty 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER’S  SONS 

Published,  April,  1904 


PREFACE 


The  Old  Testament  is  a library  containing  the  most  varied  and  valu- 
able literary  heritages  of  the  Israelitish  race.  It  is  the  product  of  ten 
centuries  of  intense  political,  social,  and  religious  activity.  It  is  the 
record  of  man’s  effort  to  know  the  character  and  realize  the  will  of  the 
Infinite,  and  of  God’s  unceasing  revelation  of  himself  in  the  heart  and 
life  of  man.  In  its  present  form  it  includes  the  contributions  of  scores 
of  inspired  prophets,  priests,  and  sages,  who  lived  at  periods  far  re- 
moved from  each  other,  and  who  wrote  from  widely  different  points  of 
view.  What  is  true  of  this  unique  library  as  a whole  is  equally  true  of 
many  of  its  individual  books.  Proverbs,  for  example,  is  itself  a library 
of  gnomic  literature,  embodying  the  crystallized  experiences  of  many 
generations  of  wise  men.  The  Psalter  contains  the  prayers  and  hymns 
of  a race. 

Furthermore,  these  composite  writings  come  to  us  from  the  ancient 
East,  where  men  arrived  at  conclusions  by  intuition,  not  by  the  obvious, 
systematic  processes  of  reasoning,  that  alone  appeal  to  the  modern 
Occidental.  Logical  classification  is  distinctly  the  gift  of  the  Aryan 
rather  than  of  the  Semite.  Without  exception,  the  literary  products  of 
the  East,  and  especially  of  the  Semitic  world,  are  conspicuously  lacking 
in  systematic  arrangement.  The  Koran,  for  example,  is  a medley  of 
commands,  stories,  prayers,  and  exhortations.  To  this  general  rule  the 
Old  Testament  is  no  exception.  Its  later  editors,  and  especially  the 
translators  of  the  Septuagint  and  Vulgate,  to  whom  the  present  order 
of  the  books  in  our  English  Bible  is  chiefly  due,  have  roughly  classified 
them  as  historical,  poetical,  and  prophetic ; but  no  principle  of  arrange- 
ment is  applied  consistently  throughout.  Thus  Ecclesiastes  is  found 
among  the  poetical  books  and  Lamentations  among  the  prophetic.  In 
the  first  five  books  of  the  Old  Testament  prophetic  and  priestly  tradi- 
tions, ancient  songs,  ethnological  tables,  patriarchial  stories,  traditional 
derivations  of  proper  names,  genealogical  lists,  prophetic  exhortations, 
laws,  judicial  precedents,  and  historical  narratives,  written  by  different 
classes  of  writers,  are  all  mingled  together.  In  such  books  as  Proverbs 
and  Psalms  the  lack  of  systematic  arrangement  is  still  more  confus- 
ing to  the  modern  English  reader.  Maxims,  practical  observations, 
prayers,  and  hymns,  on  the  greatest  variety  of  themes,  and  written 
from  many  different  points  of  view,  follow  each  other  in  close  succes- 
sion, so  that  one  idea  is  no  sooner  fixed  than  it  is  displaced  by  another 
entirely  different.  The  inevitable  result  is  that  no  complete  and  definite 
conception  is  gained  regarding  the  teachings  either  of  the  book  or  of 
the  Old  Testament  concerning  any  one  of  the  subjects  treated.  It  is 


v 


PREFACE 


obvious  why,  after  many  years  of  study,  the  ordinary  Bible  student  has 
no  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  literature  and  teachings  of  this 
great  library.  Introductions,  commentaries,  Bible  dictionaries  and 
lesson-helps  all  have  their  place;  but  the  most  desirable  results  can 
never  be  obtained  by  readers  accustomed  to  logical  methods  of  thought 
and  investigation,  while  the  subject-matter  lacks  that  which  is  funda- 
mental to  all  profitable  study.  Systematic  classification  is  the  first  step 
in  the  practical  use  of  any  library.  Pre-eminently  is  it  necessary  in 
the  case  of  such  a large  and  varied  collection  of  writings  as  is  found 
in  the  Old  Testament,  for  only  by  this  means  can  the  beauty  and  the 
permanent  messages  of  ancient  Israel’s  teachers  be  fully  appreciated 
and  appropriated  by  their  modern  disciples. 

Moreover,  the  classification  must  be  more  fundamental  than  that  of 
a mere  rearrangement  of  the  books,  for  many  of  them  are  composite, 
containing  the  most  varied  material  drawn  from  originally  distinct 
sources.  Fortunately  at  last,  as  the  cumulative  result  of  many  cen- 
turies of  careful  biblical  scholarship,  the  date,  authorship,  and  original 
form  of  the  more  important  books  and  sections  of  the  Old  Testament 
have  been  determined  with  reasonable  certainty.  Upon  these  great 
fundamental  questions  there  is  now  very  general  agreement  among  the 
scholars  of  Christendom.  The  destructive  stage,  when  time-honored 
traditions  were  being  rudely  set  aside,  has  already  been  succeeded  by 
the  constructive.  At  the  same  time  it  is  being  widely  recognized  that 
these  positive  conclusions  possess  not  only  a theoretical,  but  also  a prac- 
tical value.  Unfortunately,  however,  they  have  nowhere  been  presented 
in  such  concise,  simple  form  that  they  can  be  understood,  and  therefore 
utilized,  except  by  a comparatively  small  body  of  students.  That  the 
problems  and  the  processes  whereby  these  results  are  reached  are  com- 
plex must  be  frankly  admitted;  but  this  fact  does  not  preclude  the 
possibility  nor  lessen  the  need  of  a presentation  so  plain  that  he  who 
runs  may  read  enough  to  understand  the  method  and  appropriate  the 
practical  conclusions.  Until  modern  biblical  scholarship)  has  achieved 
this  most  difficult  task,  it  will  never  cease  to  be  regarded  with  suspicion 
by  certain  classes,  and  to  fail  in  doing  its  full  duty  toward  those  who, 
because  of  other  pressing  demands,  cannot  afford  the  time  for  special 
research.  Furthermore,  the  Old  Testament  presents  to-day  many 
problems  that  require  for  their  solution  not  merely  the  knowledge  of 
specialists,  but  also  the  sane  good  judgment  of  the  general  students  of 
history  and  literature.  Only  by  their  intelligent  co-operation  can  the 
ultimate  truths  regarding  its  origin  and  structure  be  attained.  Then 
the  definite  and  established  results  will  be  sure  of  a wide  acceptance, 
notwithstanding  the  keen  opposition  of  dogmatists  and  the  discrediting 
influence  of  certain  extremists  whose  methods  are  neither  scientific  nor 
truly  critical. 

Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  represent  graphically  and  by  the 
aid  of  conventional  signs  the  analysis,  especially  of  the  first  six  books 
of  the  Old  Testament.  Of  these  the  latest  and  most  intelligible  is  the 


vi 


PREFACE 


Hexateuch  (2  vols.),  edited  by  Carpenter  and  Harford-Battersby ; 
but  this  covers  only  a limited  portion  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  its 
expense,  as  well  as  the  technical  character  of  its  notes,  preclude  its  use 
by  the  ordinary  Bible  reader.  Moreover,  these  analyses,  being  based 
on  the  present  unchronological  order  of  the  Old  Testament  books,  are 
necessarily  perplexing.  On  the  other  hand,  a merely  chronological  re- 
arrangement of  the  literature  is  not  sufficient.  It  would  be  interesting, 
but  would  not  furnish  the  most  useful  basis  for  study,  since  the  same 
age  produced  such  a heterogeneous  variety  of  writings  that  the  result- 
ing order  would  be  more  confusing  than  the  present.  For  practical 
purposes  a logical  arrangement  is  more  important  than  a chronological. 
The  canons  of  scientific  literary  classification,  in  which  community  of 
theme,  point  of  view,  authorship,  and  literary  style  are  the  guide,  must 
first  be  applied.  Upon  this  specific  task  I have  been  working  for  many 
years,  and  partial  results  have  been  presented  in  the  Wise  Men  of 
Ancient  Israel  and  Their  Proverbs  (1895),  and  in  The  Messages  of 
Israel’s  Lawgivers  (1902). 

When  kindred  narratives,  laws,  prophetic  addresses,  and  proverbs 
have  been  grouped  together,  it  is  then  possible  and  practicable  to 
arrange  the  material  within  each  group  and  subdivision  in  its  chrono- 
logical order — placing  older  and  later  versions  of  the  same  story  or  law 
side  by  side — thus  making  it  easy  to  follow  systematically  and  compre- 
hensively the  growth  of  a given  tradition,  institution,  or  belief.  In 
this  way  the  principles  of  logical  and  chronological  classification  can  be 
profitably  combined,  and  the  many  valuable  results  of  modern  critical 
scholarship  utilized  in  furnishing  a sound  basis  for  the  literary,  his- 
torical, and  devotional  study  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  conviction  is 
also  held  that  some  such  arrangement  of  its  varied  literature  as  is  here 
proposed  is  destined  before  long  to  be  adopted  by  the  rapidly  increas- 
ing body  of  students  who  are  justly  dissatisfied  with  the  present 
methods  of  study.  Within  recent  years  the  Hebrew  classics  and  his- 
tory have  again  been  accorded  a place  in  the  curricula  of  our  colleges 
and  universities.  It  is  also  believed  that  conditions  favor,  and  that 
intelligent  public  opinion  will  soon  demand  the  introduction  into  our 
primary,  grammar,  and  high  schools  of  the  study  of  that  literature 
and  life,  which  have  moulded  the  past  and  are  still  capable  of  in- 
fluencing our  modern  civilization  more  fundamentally  and  helpfully 
than  any  other. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Old  Testament  is  a library,  including  many  com- 
posite books,  it  is  not  surprising  that  there  are  frequent  repetitions. 
When  the  same  law  or  proverb  or  historical  narrative  (as  in  Samuel, 
Kings,  and  Chronicles)  is  repeated  absolutely  or  nearly  verbatim,  it  is 
introduced  but  once.  Attention  is  called  to  all  important  variations. 
Since  this  work  is  intended  not  primarily  for  the  technical  but  for  the 
general  Bible  student,  genealogical  lists,  which  possess  no  marked  his- 
torical value,  are  transferred  to  the  Appendix.  Otherwise  all  of  the 
subject-matter  in  the  Old  Testament  has  been  included. 

vii 


PREFACE 


While  Protestant  Christianity  will  probably  never  entirely  reverse 
the  decision  of  Luther  and  his  associates  in  rejecting  the  apocryphal 
writings  from  the  Old  Testament  canon,  it  is  obvious  to  the  impartial 
reader  that  certain  of  these  books,  because  of  their  intrinsic  merit  and 
historical  significance,  as  linking  the  Old  Testament  writings  to  those 
of  the  New,  do  not  deserve  the  neglect  with  which  they  are  treated. 
Already  their  great  value  is  being  appreciated  by  the  historian  and 
ethical  teacher.  The  records  of  Israel’s  history  are  sadly  incomplete 
without  the  First  Book  of  Maccabees,  supplemented  as  it  is  by  the  Sec- 
ond Book.  Because  of  the  importance  of  the  events  which  it  records 
and  the  deeply  religious  spirit  which  pervades  it,  this  dramatic  account 
of  one  of  the  most  significant  epochs  in  the  life  of  Judaism  is  surely 
worthy  of  a place  in  a student’s  Old  Testament  side  by  side  with  the 
earlier  books  of  Samuel,  Kings,  and  Chronicles.  As  a reflection  of  the 
life  and  thought  of  the  Jews  of  the  dispersion,  the  book  of  Tobit  also 
belongs  beside  Esther.  The  later  development  of  wisdom-thought  is 
represented  by  the  practical  maxims  of  Ben  Sira  and  the  majestic  Wis- 
dom of  Solomon.  Our  knowledge  of  later  prophecy  and  psalmody  is 
enriched  by  II.  Esdras,  Baruch,  and  the  Prayer  of  Manasses. 

While  the  work  of  the  English,  and  especially  that  of  the  American, 
revisers  is  most  highly  appreciated,  the  necessity  of  a new  translation, 
adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  ordinary  reader,  has  become  apparent  as 
the  plans  for  the  Student’s  Old  Testament  have  gradually  grown  out 
of  the  practical  experiences  in  connection  with  university  and  Bible 
classes.  The  magnitude  and  difficulties  of  the  task  are  fully  recognized. 
The  only  justification  of  such  an  attempt  is  the  hope  that  the  result  will 
convey  more  completely  to  the  English  reader  the  ideas  in  the  minds  of 
the  original  writers.  A true  translation  translates  not  merely  words 
but  thoughts.  When  these  are  clear,  the  need  for  commentaries  almost 
ceases.  Since  language  is  at  the  best  an  imperfect  medium,  new 
translations  will  constantly  be  demanded  in  the  future,  as  they  have 
been  in  the  past,  as  man’s  knowledge  of  the  original  tongues  increases 
and  the  language  into  which  the  translation  is  made  assumes  new  forms 
and  meanings.  That  the  American  Revised  Version  (1901)  has  made 
marked  advances  beyond  all  previous  translations  is  already  generally 
recognized.  The  debt  which  every  subsequent  version  will  owe  to  it  is 
necessarily  great.  In  the  translation  here  offered  the  first  aim  has 
been  to  conserve  all  that  is  good  in  previous  translations.  The  varia- 
tions will  not  be  found  to  be  radical.  Whenever  a fundamentally  dif- 
ferent reading  is  adopted  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  and  the  reasons 
carefully  stated.  The  Revised  Versions,  however,  in  common  with  all  the 
standard  English  translations,  are  based  upon  a long  line  of  earlier  ver- 
sions, most  of  which  were  made  when  the  vocabulary  and  idioms  of  the 
language  were  very  different  from  what  they  are  at  present.  Where 
it  has  been  possible,  without  detracting  from  the  dignity  of  the  current 
readings,  to  give  simpler  and  more  modern  renderings,  this  has  been 
done.  Exactness  and  clearness  have  above  all  been  sought,  for  they 

viii 


PREFACE 


are  the  first  essentials  in  a work  of  this  kind.  The  aim  has  been  to 
reproduce  in  a clear,  idiomatic  English  the  exact  thought  of  the  orig- 
inal text.  Whenever  the  Hebrew  idiom  has  been  thoroughly  natural- 
ized in  the  English,  it  is  retained,  because  of  its  picturesqueness  and 
expressiveness.  In  other  cases  greater  lucidity  is  attained  by  employ- 
ing the  corresponding  English  idiom,  although  in  actual  form  its  words 
differ  from  the  original  Hebrew.  A literal  translation  of  the  latter  is 
also  given  in  the  foot-notes.  Greater  clearness  and  literary  finish  are 
often  secured  by  conforming  strictly  to  the  English  order  of  words  in 
sentences.  Since  the  Hebrew  is  a comparatively  primitive  language,  it 
lacks  distinctive  particles  and  conjunctions.  The  exact  relation  of 
sentences  and  clauses  is  usually  indicated  by  the  syntax  or  context 
rather  than  by  the  connectives.  Thus  the  conjunction  usually  trans- 
lated and  is  employed  in  a great  variety  of  senses.  To  translate  it 
monotonously  by  its  most  common  equivalent,  as  is  done  in  the  older 
versions,  is  to  reproduce  only  imperfectly  the  thought  of  the  original. 
The  American  revisers  have  done  well  to  recognize — although  not 
uniformly — its  other  equivalents.  Thus,  for  example,  in  Genesis  they 
properly  translate  it  according  to  the  context:  now  (121,  introducing  a 
story),  wherefore  (2110),  but  ( 1 827),  then  (1924),  when  (1923),  as  (181), 
and  that  (1932)-  Frequently  the  corresponding  English  idiom  is  best 
reproduced  by  simply  ignoring  the  connective  (2734,  when  Esau  heard 
. . . he  cried  out — Lit.,  and  he  cried  out ).  It  is  believed  that  a 

consistent  recognition  of  these  varied  meanings  will  prove  helpful  in 
revealing  the  logical  connection  of  thought  in  the  original.  Even  since 
the  time  when  the  work  of  the  American  revisers  was  begun,  important 
results  have  also  been  attained  in  the  fields  of  Hebrew  grammar  and 
philology  which  should  be  at  the  command  of  the  English  reader. 

The  semi-archaic  “ thou,”  “ thee,”  and  “ thy,”  with  the  correspond- 
ing forms  of  the  verb,  have  been  retained  only  in  three  connections: 
(1)  in  poetical  passages;  (2)  in  all  statements  addressed  to  the  Deity, 
for  here  they  have  a recognized  meaning  and  appropriateness;  (3)  in 
passages  in  which  Jehovah  or  his  inspired  representatives  address  the 
nation  or  people  with  commands,  exhortations,  or  warnings,  for  here 
also  a certain  dignity  and  solemnity  are  imparted  by  their  use.  Else- 
where they  are  discarded,  that  the  translation  may  be  in  accord  with 
modern  forms  of  expression.  Furthermore,  this  restriction  strength- 
ens their  force  when  employed,  and  aids  materially  in  making  clear  the 
thought  in  the  original.  Similarly,  the  corresponding  ending  (-eth)  of 
the  third  person  singular  is  used  only  when  the  Deity  is  the  subject. 

With  reluctance  the  popular  form  of  the  name  of  Israel’s  God  has 
been  employed.  As  is  well  known,  the  word  Jehovah  probably  first 
came  into  existence  during  the  sixteenth  century  of  the  Christian  era, 
when  it  was  coined  by  a Christian  scholar,  who  combined  the  vowels  of 
the  Hebrew  word  for  “ Lord  ” ( Adonai ) with  the  consonants  ( yhv  or 
yhwh ) of  the  distinctive  name  of  Israel’s  God,  which  later  Jews  re- 
garded as  too  sacred  to  be  pronounced.  From  a Greek  transliteration 


IX 


PREFACE 


('Ia{3e)  it  is  inferred  that  its  original  form  was  Yahweh  or  Yahve. 
There  is,  however,  still  considerable  difference  of  opinion  and  usage 
among  modern  scholars.  It  is  because  of  this  uncertainty,  and  be- 
cause the  form  Jehovah  has  become  firmly  fixed  in  popular  usage,  in 
prayers,  in  hymns,  and  in  current  literature,  that  I have  here  retained 
it,  feeling  that  those  who  preferred  one  of  the  more  exact  readings 
or  the  Lord  of  the  Authorized  and  Revised  Versions  could  easily  make 
the  substitution  for  themselves. 

The  basis  of  the  present  translation  is  the  standard  Hebrew  text.  I 
will  frankly  confess  that  I have  little  sympathy  with  certain  scholars 
who  regard  this  as  thoroughly  corrupt,  and  therefore  requiring  emenda- 
tion at  every  turn.  The  confusion  which  arises,  when  the  various 
changes  proposed  are  compared,  at  once  arouses  suspicion  of  the  meth- 
ods; and  when  these  are  investigated  they  are  often  found  to  rest  upon 
arbitrary  presuppositions.  Above  all,  they  fail  to  recognize  the  sig- 
nificant fact  that  the  original  writers  were  primitive  Orientals,  who 
cannot  be  expected  to  have  conformed  in  every  detail  to  twentieth  cen- 
tury Western  standards.  At  the  same  time  no  one  will  seriously  claim 
that  we  have  to-day  the  original  copies  which  came  from  their  hands. 
That  certain  scribal  errors  have  crept  in  during  the  long  process  of 
transmission  is  obvious,  so  that  a sane,  careful  reconstruction  of  the 
received  text  is  often  absolutely  necessary  and  results  in  great  gain. 
That  the  early  translations,  and  especially  the  Greek,  which  was  made 
centuries  before  the  oldest  extant  Hebrew  manuscripts,  and  which  was 
the  text  used  by  most  of  the  New  Testament  writers,  have  frequently 
preserved  original  readings  or  else  furnished  suggestions  which  are 
valuable  in  restoring  the  text,  is  equally  clear.  To  ignore  their  testi- 
mony, where  the  Hebrew  text  is  incomplete,  obscure,  or  unintelligible, 
is  a serious  mistake.  Whenever  these  versions  are  followed,  attention 
is  called  to  the  fact  in  the  notes.  Important  variant  readings  of  the 
Greek,  Samaritan,  Syriac,  and  Latin  texts  are  also  given,  that  the 
student  may  have  the  data  at  hand  for  forming  an  independent  judg- 
ment. The  consideration  of  the  history  and  value  of  the  different  ver- 
sions and  of  the  principles  which  should  regulate  their  use  is  reserved 
for  the  second  volume,  where  the  Hebrew  text  is  frequently  very 
defective. 

While  this  work  aims  to  do  three  things,  ( 1 ) to  rearrange  the  writings 
of  the  Old  Testament  in  a logical  order,  (2)  to  indicate  their  approxi- 
mate dates  and  the  classes  of  writers  from  which  they  come,  and  the 
more  important  reasons  for  the  critical  analysis  of  the  different  books, 
and  (3)  to  introduce  the  reader  by  means  of  a clear  translation  to  the 
beauty  and  thought  of  the  original,  it  also  seeks  by  occasional  interpre- 
tative notes  upon  obscure  passages,  and  by  titles  and  brief  side-head- 
ings, to  make  clear  the  thought  of  each  section  and  the  logical  relations 
of  the  parts  to  the  whole.  Brief  suggestions  are  sometimes  offered 
regarding  the  vital  significance  and  value  of  certain  stories,  but  the 
supremely  important  task  of  deriving  from  them  their  practical  teach- 


PREFACE 


ings  and  of  applying  them  to  life  is  left  to  the  teacher  and  individual 
reader.  The  attempt  has  been  made  to  simplify  in  every  possible 
way.  Especial  attention  is  called  to  the  Explanations  of  Typograph- 
ical Symbols  and  Abbreviations  following  the  Table  of  Contents. 

The  magnitude  of  the  debt  which  I owe  to  previous  writers  on  these 
subjects  is  indicated  in  the  classified  list  of  books  of  reference  in  the 
appendices  of  each  volume.  The  works  which  have  proved  of  most 
service  have  been  Kautzsch’s  edition  of  Gesenius’  Hebrew  Grammar, 
the  admirable  Hebrew  Lexicon  edited  by  Brown,  Driver,  and  Briggs, 
the  volumes  of  the  International  Critical  Commentary , and  the  two 
new  Bible  dictionaries  edited  by  Hastings  and  Cheyne.  Of  recent 
translations  the  most  suggestive  are  the  French,  by  Segond,  and  the 
two  German,  one  by  Kautzsch  and  the  other  by  the  contributors  to  the 
Handkommentar  zum  Allen  Testament.  The  translation  has  been 
made  with  the  helpful  collaboration  of  the  Reverend  Frederick  Lent, 
M.A.,  of  Yale  University.  The  analysis  of  the  Old  Testament  books 
found  in  this  volume,  and  the  solutions  of  the  critical  problems,  repre- 
sent in  part  work  done  in  my  Biblical  Seminar.  To  the  interest  and 
suggestions  of  its  members  I have  been  constantly  indebted,  and  es- 
pecially to  those  of  Mr.  George  D.  Castor,  M.A.,  whose  collaboration 
in  this  department  of  the  work  has  been  of  the  greatest  assistance. 
I also  feel  a deep  sense  of  obligation  to  the  three  or  four  hundred 
biblical  specialists  and  teachers  who  generously  volunteered  their  criti- 
cisms and  suggestions  in  connection  with  the  advanced  sheets  sent  out 
by  the  publishers.  For  valuable  detailed  notes  I am  above  all  indebted 
to  Professors  Driver  and  Cheyne  of  Oxford  University,  to  Professor 
Henry  Preserved  Smith,  D.D.,  of  Amherst  College,  and  especially  to 
Professor  McFadyen  of  Knox  College,  who  has  read  the  proofs  of 
this  volume. 

C.  F.  K. 

Yale  University, 

January,  1904. 


a 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


I.  Israel’s  Heritage  of  Oral  Traditions 3 

II.  Their  Transmission  and  Crystallization  into  Literature 13 


III.  The  Present  Literary  Form  and  Contents  of  Israel’s  Early  Records  21 

IV.  Characteristics,  Dates,  and  History  of  the  Different  Prophetic  and 


Priestly  Narratives. 

1.  The  Judean  Prophetic 31 

2.  The  Ephraimite  Prophetic 37 

3.  The  Late  Prophetic  or  Deuteronomic 42 

4.  The  Late  Priestly 43 


THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  HUMAN  HISTORY,  Gen.  I1-!!9 


I.  The  Beginnings  of  Life  and  Sin. 

§ 1.  The  Priestly  Story  of  the 

Creation 

§2.  The  Primitive  Story  of 
Man’s  Creation  and  Fall 


II.  The  Beginnings  of  Human  Civili- 
zation and  Moral  Degeneracy 

§ 3.  Lists  of  the  Traditional  Fore- 
fathers of  the  Human  Race.  . . 

§ 4.  The  Story  of  Lamech,  the 
Father  of  those  who  De- 
veloped the  Nomadic  Arts  — 
§ 5.  The  Story  of  Noah,  the  First 
Vineyard-Keeper,  and  his  Sons 
§ 6.  The  Story  of  Cain,  the  First 
Murderer 


Classification 
Early  Judean  Pro- 
phetic 


Gen.  24b‘9  (10‘15), 

16_3l9,  23,  21  (22, 
24)* 

425  320  426,  1,  16b- 
18’  g28b,  29 


of  the  Narratives 
Late  Priestly 


PAGE 

Gen.l1^ 51 

53 

57 

gl-28a,  30-32 57 


419-24. 

920-27. 


60 

60 


(j_2-16a) 


61 


* References  in  parentheses  are  to  later  additions  to  the  earlier  narratives. 

xiii 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


III.  Consequences  op  Human  Degen- 
eracy and  the  New  Beginning 
Inaugurated  by  the  Flood. 

§ 7.  The  Story  of  the  Sons  of  God 
and  the  Daughters  of  Men .... 
§ 8.  The  Two  Biblical  Stories  of 
the  Flood 


IV.  The  Beginnings  of  the  Nations. 

§ 9.  The  Story  of  the  Tower  of 

Babel 

§ 10.  Origin  and  Relationships  of 
the  Nations. 


Classification  of  the  Narratives 


Early  Judean  Pro- 
phetic 


Gen.  61-4 

(©5-8,  71'5-  10-  7-9, 
16b,  12,  17b,  22,  23 
g6a,  2b,  3a,  6b-12, 
13b,  20-22) 


ll19 

(918a,  19a,  l0lb,  9 
19b,  18b,  iq8  (9), 
10-15  (16-18a),  18b! 
19,  21,  24-30) 


Late  Priestly 


PAGE 

62 

©11,  12,  9,  10,  13-22 
76,  11,  13-16a  (17a)! 
18-21, 24  gl,  2a,  3b- 
5,  13a,  14-19  98-17 
1-7,  28,  29  ’ ’ 03 


68 

IQla,  32,  2-7,  20,  22, 

23,  31 69 


THE  TRADITIONAL  ANCESTORS  OF  THE  HEBREWS, 


I.  The  Abraham  (Abram) 
Narratives. 

§ 11.  Ancestry  and 

Family 

§ 12.  Migration  t o 

Canaan 

§ 13.  Deception  Re- 
garding Sarah 
(and  Rebekah) . . . 

§ 14.  Covenant  with 
A bi  me  lech  at 
Beersheba 


Gen.  ll10^1 

a,  28b_5Q26 

Early  Prophetic 

Judean 

Ephramite 

Gen.  II28'  29  . . 

J2l-4a,  6-8 

(129-131),  261-3a 

201'17  (18) 

(3b-5),  6-14 

(3^25,26,28-30,32- 

3122-24,  27,  31 . . . 

34),  26  (15),16’ 17 

(18),  19-33 

I32  (3,  4)  5,  6b- 

11a,  12b,  13 

Late  Priestly 


PAGE 

ll10'27 73 

ll31-32, 125,4b..  75 

76 

79 


I 


§ 15.  Separation  of 
Abram  and  Lot. . 


xiv 


136a,  lib,  12a  . . g] 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


I.  The  Abraham  (Abram) 
Narratives — Cont’d. 
§ 16.  The  Divine  Cov- 
enant and  Promise 


§ 17.  Victory  over 
the  Four  Eastern 
Kings 


§ 18.  Birth  of  Ish- 

mael 

§ 19.  Promise  of  a 

Son  to  Sarah 

§ 20.  Destruction  of 
Sodom  and  De- 
liverance of  Lot. . 


§ 21.  Origin  of  the 
Moabites  and 

Ammonites 

§ 22.  Birth  of  Isaac 
and  Expulsion  of 

Hagar 

§ 23.  Sac  r i f ice  of 

Isaac 

§ 24.  Securing  a Wife 
for  Isaac 

§ 25.  Death  of  Sarah 
and  Purchase  of 
the  Cave  of  Mach- 

pelah 

§ 26.  Death  of  Abra- 
ham  

§27.  His  Arabian 
Descendants 

II.  The  Jacob  (Israel) 
Stories. 

§ 28.  Birth  of  Jacob 
and  Esau 


Early  P 
Judean 

Gen.  (13(14-17), 

18  15lb,  d,  2a, 

3b,  4,  6,  7-12a,  c, 
17,  18  (19-21)  ) 

rophetic 

Ephraimite 

jgla,  12b,  lc,  3a, 
2b,  5,  13-16 

1130,  16lb,  2,  4-14 

181'15 

1816  (17-19))  20- 

22a(22b-33a))33b) 

191-28 

1 q30-38 

ptl  la,  2a,  7 

21  lb,  6,  8-21 

321-14  (15-18),  19. 

(3320-24,  24)  355, 

6.  lib') 

(351"4' 18) 

3,^21-27 a,  c,  28 

Late  Priestly 


171"14. 


PAGE 

82 


(I  ndependent 
Jewish  Tradi- 
tion, 14) 84 

10la,  3,  15,  16  86 


Y]  15-27 


1929  . 


3121,-5. 


88 

90 

92 

93 

94 


2519,  20 95 

33 99 

357_lla 100 

3512'17 101 

102 


XV 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


Early  Prophetic 

The  Jacob  (Israel) 
Stories — Continued. 

Judean 

Ephraimite 

Late  Priestly 

§ 29.  Ja  c o b’s  Pur- 

chase  of  the 
Birthright 

Gen.  2527b' 29'34 

§ 30.  The  Blessing  of 
Jacob  and  his  De- 

parture  to  Aram. 

jyjda,  2,  3,  4b,  5b, 
6, 7a,e,  15, 18b, 19, 

27lb,  4a,  5a,  7b,  8- 
14,  16-18a,  21-23, 

2634.  35}  2746>  28 

1-9 

20,  24-27,  29a,  c, 

28,  29b,  30b,  31a, 

30a,  c,  31b,  32-34, 

35,  36 -41  a,  43a,  c, 

41b,  42,  43b,  45a 

44,  45b 

§31.  The  Revela- 

tion  to  Jacob 
at  Bethel 

gglO,  13-16,  19  # 

2811,  12,  17,  18,  20, 

21,  22 

§ 32.  Jacob’s  Arrival 

in  Aram  and 
Meeting  with 
Rachel 

291'14  

§ 33.  Jacob’s  Mar- 
riage with  Leah 
and  Rachel 

§ 34.  Jacob’s  Chil- 
dren  

2931-355  3Q9-13.  .. 

2915-23  (24) ; 25- 
28a  (28b,  29) , 30 

30l-8,  14-24 

3g22b-265  372a 

§ 35.  Jacob’s  Pros- 
perity.   

3025  , 27  , 29  , 30, 
31a,  32b,  34-39, 

3026,28, 31b,  32a,c, 
33,  40a, c 

40b,  42,  43 

§36.  Jacob  s Flight 
from  Laban 

3|_1,  3,  17,  18a,  19, 
21a,  c,  23,  25b,  27, 

312,  4-16,  20,  21b, 
22,  24,  25a,  26,  28, 

30,  32-40 

29,  31,  41,  42.. 

31lsb 

§ 37.  Jacob’s  Cove- 
nant with  Laban . 

31 44,  46-48,  51-53 

3143,45,49,50,54, 

55  <*9l,  2,  13a 

§ 38.  Preparation  to 
Meet  Esau 

3g3-7a  (7b-12\  13b- 
23 

§ 39.  Wrestling  with 
God 

3224-29  (30),  31, 

32 

§ 40.  Meeting  with 
Esau. 

331"17 

PAGE 

103 

103 

107 

109 

109 

110 

112 

114 

116 

117 

118 
119 


xvi 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


II.  The  Jacob  (Israel) 
Stories — Continued. 

§ 41.  DinahandShe- 
chem 


§ 42.  Jacob’s  Return 

to  Bethel 

§ 43.  Domestic  Ex- 
periences in  Ca- 
naan  

§ 44.  Judah  and  Ta- 
mar  


Early  Prophetic 


Judean 

Gen.  342b-  3a-  5- 

7,  11,  12,  14,  19, 
25b,  26,  29b,  30,  31 


3521,  22 
38 


Ephraimite 


3318-20,  341*  2a- 

3b,  4,  6,  8-10,  13, 
15-18,  20-25 a,  27a, 
c,  27b,  28,  29a5 

35s 

35I-4,  6b,  7,  14. 


358,  16-20, 


Late  Priestly 


PAGE 

120 

356a,  9-13, 15  _ . 122 

SS27-29^6-8^1  123 

124 


III.  The  Joseph  Stories. 


§45.  Sold  by  his 
Brothers  into 
Egypt 


§ 46.  Tempted  and 

Proved 

§47.  Fame  as  an 
Inter  preter  of 

Dreams 

§ 48.  Interpretation 
of  Pharaoh’s 
Dreams 

§ 49.  Made  Governor 
of  Egypt 

§ 50.  Policy  during 

the  Famine 

§ 51.  First  Meeting 
with  his  Brothers 


§ 52.  Second  Meeting 


373,  4,  12,  13,  14b, 
18b,  21,  23,  25-27, 
28b,  32a,  33b, 34b, 

35a,  391 


392'23. 


4141-45,48, 54a,  55, 
56 

4713-26. 


431-7)  4338)  438- 
13,  15-34  44I-34 


372b,  5-11,  14a, 

15-18a,  19,  20,  22, 
24,  28a,  29-31, 

32b,  33a,  34a, 

35b,  36 


4Ql-3a  (3b)5  4-15a 
(15b) j 16-23 

4ll-14a(14b)>  14c- 
30(31)^32,  33  (34) ; 
35a  (35b) > 35c-38 
4439, 40(46a)46b, 
47,  49,  50-53,  54b, 
57 


4gl-26  (27,  28a) 
29-35,  28b,  36,  37 
4314  .’ 


126 

129 


130 


131 

133 

134 

135 


XVII 


137 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


III.  The  Joseph  Stories 
— Continued. 

§ 53.  Joseph’s  Dis- 
closure  of  his 
Identity 


§ 54.  Establishment 
of  his  Kinsmen  in 
Egypt 

§55.  Blessing  of  Jo- 
seph’s Sons  by 
the  Dying  Jacob. 


§ 56.  Burial  of  Jacob 

at  Hebron 

§ 57.  Later  Days  of 
Joseph 


Early  Prophetic 


Judean 

Ephraimite 

Late  Priestly 

Gen.  45la>  2b>  4- 

451b,  2a,  c,  3, 

5a,  c,  7b,  10a,  c, 

5b, d,  6,  7a,  c,  8,  9, 

11,  12,  14,  19,  21a, 

10b,  13,  15-18,  20, 

PAGE 

27a,  28 

21b-26,  27b 

140 

4(}la,  28-34  47I-4, 

46lb'5 

466"27,475, 6a,  7-11 , 

6b,  12,  27a 

27b,  28 

143 

4729-31  4g2b,  9b, 

4gl,  2a,  7,  8,  9a, 

483'6,  49la’  28b" 

10a,  13-19  4Q 

10b,  11,  12,  20-22 

33  a 

144 

33b,  c,  5Q1 

502'11,  14 

5012-  13 

147 

5015-26 

148 

THE  DELIVERANCE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  FROM  EGYPT,  Ex.  ll-1213- 

21-23.  27b-41.  51,  1317-22,  14>  151,  19-25a,  27,  161,  171,  191.  2a,  Num.  33I-I5 


I.  The  Bondage  of  the 
Hebrews  and  Rise 
of  the  Deliverer 
Moses. 

§ 58.  I srael’s  In- 
crease and  Op- 
pression  

§59.  Birth  and 
Preservation  of 

Moses 

§ 60.  Moses’s  Cham- 
pionship of  his 
Kinsmen  and 
Flight  to  Midian. 


Early  Prophetic 


Judean 

Ephraimite 

Late  Priestly 

Ex.  I6,  7b'  8'12, 

4l5-20a,  21,  22 

4I-5,  7a, c,  13,  14b 

14a,  20b 

21-10 

(6I3-25) 

£11-22 

PAGE 

151 


152 


153 


xviii 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


I.  The  Bondage  of  the 
Hebrews  and  Rise 
of  the  Deliverer 
Moses— Continued. 

§ 61.  Call  and  Re- 
turn to  Deliver 
the  Israelites.. . . 


§ 62.  The  Demand 
that  Pharaoh  Al- 
low the  Hebrews 
to  Depart 

II.  Plagues  and  Won- 
ders Preliminary 
to  the  Departure 
of  the  Hebrews 
from  Egypt. 

§63.  Changing 
Aaron’s  Staff  into 

a Serpent 

§ 64.  Plague  upon 
the  Waters 

§ 65.  Plague  of  Frogs 

§ 66.  Plague  of  In- 
sects  

§ 67.  Plague  upon 
Man  and  Beast. . . 
§ 68.  Plague  of  Hail. 


§ 69.  Plague  of  Lo- 
custs   


§ 70.  Plague  of 

Darkness 

§ 71.  Death  of  First- 
born  


Early  Prophetic 


J udean 


Ex>  g23a  419,20a, 
24-26  32,3,4a,  c, 
5,  7,  8a  (8b),  16, 
17a  (17b),  ’ 18, 

41-12  (13-16)’ 

29-31 

s3’5-23^1 


^14, 16,17a,  18,21a, 
24 

725  81-4,  8-10a 

(10b),  ll-15a 

820-22a  (22b),  23- 
32  . . 

91’* 

9I3  (14-16),  17,  18 
(19-21),  23b,  24b, 
25b-30,’33,  34 

10la  (lb-  2),  3-n- 
13b,  14b,  15a,  c, 
16-19 


422,  23  4Q24-26, 

28,  29  444-8,  42 
21, 22, 23, 27b, 29-34 


Ephraimite 


31,  4b,  d,  6,  9-15, 
19-22  417,  18, 

20b  (21),  27,  28 


51,2,  4, 


715,  17b, 20b,  23 


q22,  23a,  24a,  25a, 
31,  32,  35 


4012,  13a,  14a,  15b, 
20 


4021,  22,  23,  27 
Hi-3,  1335,  36  . . 


Late  Priestly 


PAGE 

223b-25,  62-12,  7 
15  154 


76, 7 159 


Ex.  78"13 161 

719,  20a,  21b,  22 

85-7 , 15b 4g3 

816-19 164 

98'12 165 

166 


167 

169 

(ll9-  10),  121'13- 
28 169 


XIX 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


Early  Prophetic 

III.  The  Exodus. 

§ 72.  Journey  to  the 

Judean 

Ephraimite 

Red  Sea.  

§ 73.  Pursuit  of  the 
Egyptians  and  the 

Ex.  1237b'39,  13 
21,  22 

1317"19 

Great  Deliverance 

145,  6,  7b,  10a,  11- 

443,  7a,  c,  8b,  10b, 

14,  19b,  20b,  21b, 

15a,  16a,  19a,  20a, 

24a,  25,  27b,  28b, 

23a,  24b,  31  15 

§ 74.  Journey  from 
the  Red  Sea  to 

30,  151 

20,  21 

Sinai 

1522-25a,  27;  (16 

la,  17lb,  192a) 

Late  Priestly 


PAGE 

1237a  (40,  41,  51)^ 

1320  172 


44I,  2,  4,  8a,  c,  9, 

15b,  16b,  17,  18, 

21a,  c,  22,  23b,  26. 

27a,  28a,  29 

19 .’.  . . 173 


16lb,  17la,  191, 
(Num.  331'15)  176 


THE  HEBREWS  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  AND  EAST  OF  THE  JORDAN, 

Ex.  162 — Dt.  3412  ( exclusive  0/  legal  material ) 


I.  At  Sinai-Horeb. 

§ 75.  Revelation  of 
Jehovah  to  the 
Israelites 


§ 76.  The  Establish- 
ment of  the  Cove- 
nant between  Je- 
hovah and  Israel 


§ 77.  Apostasy  of 
the  People 


Early  Prophetic 

La 

Judean 

Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

Ex.  19  llb- 

4g2b,  3a  (3b- 

13a, 18,20-22 

6).  9-lla, 

(23)  ^ 24,  25 

13b,  14-17, 

19,  20 18'20 

E x . 34la 

Ex.  2021’ 

Dt.  518a 

(lb)  2-4 (5a) 

22a,  23a, 

lla,12a,16a, 

5b,  10a  (10b). 

24a  2229- 

31.23^  15, 

17-21a,  22- 

11a,  14a,  17, 

33(  g9,  10 

18a,  19a,  20c, 

16a,  IS,  19b 

21a,  22a,  c, 

243  (4a)  4b- 

25,  26-28, 

6 (7).  8,  12- 

197,  8,241’ 

15a,  18b 

2,  9-11 

Slisb 

E x . 3218 

Dt.  911'14’ 

(9-14) ^ 15-29 

26-29,  15-17, 

(30-34)  > 35 

21 , 18-20 

108-11.  . . .’ 

Priestly 


PAGE 

3415b-17  ....  181 


Ex.  2418a, 
3118a,  3429" 

33  (34  , 35)  183 


189 


XX 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


I.  At  Sinai-Horeb  — 
Continued. 

§78.  Jehovah’s 
Promise  to  Lead 
His  People 


§ 79.  Tent  of  Meet- 
ing.   


§ SO.Visitof  Moses’s 
Father-in-law . . . 

§81.  Judicial  Organ- 
ization   

§ 82.  Appointment 
of  the  Seventy 
Prophetic  Elders 

§ 83.  Divine  Confir- 
mation of  Moses’s 
Authority 

§ 84.  Census  of  the 
Israelites. 


§ 85.  Arrangements 
of  the  Camp 


II.  Life  of  the  Hebrews 
in  the  Wilderness 
ABOUT  KADESH. 

§86.  Departure 
from  Sinai 


Early  Prophetic 

La 

Judean 

Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

Ex.  331-  3a- 

2320-22  (23- 

17b,  12-17a 

25a),  25b,  26 

(18,  19),  20- 

(27),  28-3 la 

23  346  a (6b, 

(31b-33),  33 

7)  ,8,  9a  (9b) 

3b,  4 

Ex.  335-11. 

Num.  1029~ 

Ex.  18la 

32 

(lb),  2-12 

Ex.  I813-27 

Dt.l918  . . 

(Num.ll16’ 

17,  24b-30) _ 

(Num.  12 

1-15) 

Num.  1033- 

35,  36 

Dt.  Ii9  . . . 

Priestly 


PAGE 

192 


Ex.  251'9, 

2043-46  (35 
4,  20-23) ; 40 
17  (18-33) ( 

34,35(36-38) 


195 


197 

199 

200 

201 

Num.  I1-16 

(17-49),  54, 
314-28,’  33* 

34,  39  202 


(Num.  2,  3 

23-26,  29-32, 
35-38) 


204 


Num.  1011, 

12(13-28,34)  g06 


XXI 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


II. 


Life  of  the  Hebrews 
in  the  Wilderness 
about  Kadesh — 
Continued. 

§87.  Provision  of 
Manna  and  Quails 


§ 88.  Drawing  Water 
from  the  Rock. . 


§ 89.  Conflict  with 
the  Amalekites. . 
§ 90.  Mission  and  Re- 
port of  the  Spies 


§ 91.  Punishment 
and  Defeat  of  the 
Rebellious  People 


§ 92.  Destruction  of 
the  Rebels  Da- 
than  and  Abiram 


§ 93.  Divine  Confir- 
mation of  the 
Prerogatives  of 
the  Aaronic 
Priesthood 


Early  Prophetic 

Lo 

Judean 

Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

Num.  II46 

Nurn.il1-3, 

Dt.  82'4-lla' 

( 7-9  );  10b, 

Ex.  1525b 

15,  16 

10a,  11-15, 

(26),  164'  5. 

18-24a,  31-35 

14b,  15,  21, 

27,  28,  35a 

Num.  1216, 

Num.  20lb, 

Ex.  173- 

Ex.  17lc' 

2b,  7a, c 

2a,  Num. 

205,Ex.17 

4-6,  7b 

Ex.  178-16 

Num.  13 

Num.  1317c' 

Dt.  I20'32.. 

17b,  18,  19, 

20,  21a,  23, 

22,  27a,  28, 

24,  26b, 27b, 

30,  31  14IC, 

29,33  141b, 

3,  8 

4,  9b 

Num.  14 

Num.  14 

Dt.  I34’46.. 

(11-241  31- 

(25a)  ( 25b, 

33a  (33b) > 

39b-45 

21 1 (2-3) 

Num.  16lb- 

2a, 12, 13-15, 

25,  26,  27b- 

31a  (32  a)  ^ 

33a  (33b, 34) 

Dt.  II6'7.. 

xxii 

Priestly 


PAGE 

Ex.  162’  3- 

9-12,6-7  (8^ 

13,  14a,  16- 
20(22-26)  31- 
34,  35b  (36)  208 


Num.20la- 

2,  3b,  4,  6-13  212 

214 

Num.  131- 

17a,  21b,  25, 

26a,  32  44 
la,  2,  5-7, 

9a'  10 215 


Num.  1426" 

30,  34-39 a 


219 


222 


Num.  16la- 

2b-7a  (7b-ll, 
16-18) ; 19- 

24,27a’  (32b, 

33c)  ^ 35  (36- 

40),’41T87  223 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


III.  From  Kadesh  to 
the  Jordan. 

§ 94.  Journey  from 
the  Wilderness.. 


§ 95.  Death  of  Aaron 


§ 96.  Advance  tow- 
ards the  East  Jor- 
dan   

§97.  Conquest  of 
the  East-Jordan 
Territory 


§98.  Balaam’s 
Prophecy  Con- 
cerning Israel.  . . 


§ 99.  Idolatry  and 
Immorality  of 
the  Hebrews. . . . 

§ 100.  The  Second 
Census 

§ 101.  War  with 
Midian 

§ 102.  Settlement 
of  the  East-Jor- 
dan  Tribes 


Early  Prophetic 

Lc 

Judean 

Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

Num.  2019- 

Num.  2014' 

Dt.  21_8a. . 

20,  21b 

18,  21a,  22a 

214b'9 

Dt.  106-  7.  . 

Num.  2116a 

Num.  21 

Dt.  28b‘23.. 

(16b) > 17-20 

llb-15 

Num.  2132’ 

Num.  2121* 

Dt.224"37,3 

24b-30  32 

39'42,  Josh. 
1313 

24a,  31 

'■"(Num. 

2133-35)  _ . 

Num.  223b- 

Num.  222- 

4,  5b,  6a,  7, 

3a,  5a,  6b,  8- 

11,  17,  18, 

10,  12-16,  19- 

21b,  22-35a 

21,  a,  c,  37a, 

(35b) f 36, 

38,  40,  41 
231-22  (23)’ 

37b,  39 

> 

23(27),  28 

24-26  24.25 

(29,  30) ( 24 

1-19 

Num.25lb_ 

Num.25la- 

2,  3b,  4 

3a,  5 

Dt.  312-20. . 

Priestly 


(Num.  33 

18-37) 


Num.  20 

22b-28a  ( qq 

-VS 

28b,  29 


(Num. 

41-49) 


33 


Num.  221, 
256'15 .... 
(Num.  26). 

(Num.  25 
16'18  31)  . 


(Num.  321' 

38) 


xxiii 


PAGE 

226 

228 

229 

231 

233 

239 

240 

243 

246 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


III.  From  Kadesh  to 

the  Jordan — Cont’d. 

§ 103.  Directions 
Regarding  the 
A s signmen t of 
the  Land  of  Ca- 
naan   

§ 104.  Moses’s  Fare- 
well and  Appoint- 
ment of  Joshua 
as  his  Successor 

§105.  Death  of 
Moses 


Early  Prophetic 

La 

Judean 

Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

Dt.3114’ 15> 

Dt.  321-22- 

23 

24-29,  31l-8 

Dt.  34lb'd 

Dt.  345a’  6- 

(2,  3),  4 

10  (11,  12)  , 

Priestly 


PAGE 

(Num.  33 
50 -3429) . . . 248 


Dt.  3248-52, 

Num.  27 

(12-14),  15- 


23  . 

Dt.  34la  c- 
5b,  7-9 


250 


252 


CONQUEST  AND  SETTLEMENT  OF  CANAAN,  Joshua,  Judges,  Ruth 


I.  Initial  Conquests 
of  Canaan. 

§ 106.  The  Sum- 
mons to  Con- 
quest  

§ 107.  Spies  at 
Jericho 


§ 108.  Passage  of 
the  Jordan.. . . 


Early 

Later 

Early 

Late 

Judean 

Judean 

Ephraim- 

Prophetic 

ite 

Josh.  1 

Josh.  22’ 

«jl,  3b,  4a, 

3a,  c,  4b, 

5a,c,7,13, 

5b, 6, 8,9a 

14a,  20, 

( 9b_1 1 ), 

15,16(17), 

12, 14b, 18, 

19,  21 

2 2 - 2 4 a 

(24b).  . . 

3lb,  2,  3 

3la,c,  5,  9, 

10a  (10b), 

(4),  12, 

11,  13a,  c, 

(42),36>14 

15a,  16b, 

(17b),  44, 

41a  (lb), 

5, 7b, 8a, 20 

3,  6,  7a, 
8b,  10b, 

11,  18 

(21-24,  5I) 

Late 

Priestly 


PAGE 

255 


257 


37.  8 
15b. 


13b, 

16a, 

17a, 49, 10, 

12-17.  19...  258 


XXIV 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


I.  Initial  Conquests 
of  Canaan — Con- 
tinued. 

§ 109.  Religious 
Ceremonies  at 

Gilgai 

§ 110.  Capture  of 
Jericho 


§ 111.  Defeat  at 
Ai  and  Sin  of 
Achan 


§ 112.  Capture 
of  Ai 


§ 113.  The  Treaty 
with  the  Gib- 
eonites  and 
their  Allies. . . 


§ 114.  Conquests 
in  Southern 
Canaan 


Early 

Later 

Early 

Judean 

Judean 

Ephraim- 

ite 

Josh.  52, 

3,  9 

Josh.513 

0l , 4a,c-6, 

-15  02,3, 

8,  9,  12b, 

4b,  5b,  7, 

13,  15b, 

10-12a,14, 

16a,  20b, 

15a,  16b, 

22,  23a 

17,  (18, 

(23b)  24a 

19)  20a, c, 
21,’  25-27 
7(1)  2,  18a 
(15b),  19a 
(19b)’  20- 

(24b)... 

25a  (25b) 

26 

8la(lb'2), 

g lib  - 13, 

3-6,  7a 

14b,  15a, 

(7b),  8- 

16b,  17a, 

11a, 14a, c, 

18,  19b, 

15b,  16a, 

21a,c,24a, 

17b,  19a, 

2 5,  26 

20,  21b, 

22,  23,  29 

(27),  28  . 

Josh.94' 

g3,  6a,  8, 

5,  6b,  7, 

9a(9b,10); 

12, 13, lib, 

11a,  15a, 

14,  15b 

16a  (16c) 

(15°)  , 
16b, d, 22b, 

23a  (23b, 

22a,  24a 

( 2 4 b ) , 

2 5 - 2 7 a 

(27b).  . . 

Judg.  1 

Josh. 10 

Josh.  10 

(la),  lb- 
3 (4),  6-7 

la,  3 , 

lb,  2,  4, 

5b,  6a,  7a 

5a, c, 6b, 9b, 

(8),Josh. 

(7b, 8)  9a, 

10a, 11, 15 

1563. 

10b,  12a 

Judg.  1 

(12b) ,12c, 

9,  10,  20, 

13,14,  16, 

11-17(18) ; 

24(25)  26, 

19 

27,15(13), 

14-19 

Late 

Prophetic 


54  (5)  6-8 


Josh.  9 

1,2,28-43, 

132'4a  . . 


Late 

Priestly 


PAGE 

510-12. ...  262 


263 


265 


267 


269 

271 


XXV 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


I.  Initial  Conquests 
of  Canaan — Con- 
tinued. 

§ 115.  Conquests 
in  Northern 
Canaan 


§ 116.  Late  Edi- 
torial Review 
of  the  Con- 
quest  


II.  Final  Location 
of  the  Hebrew 
Tribes. 

§ 117.  Tradition- 
al Assignment 
of  Territory . . 


§ 118.  Location  of 
the  East- Jor- 
dan Tribes. . . . 


§ 119.  The  South- 
ern Tribes. . . . 

§ 120.  The  Joseph 
Tribes 


§ 121.  The  Benja- 

mites 

§ 122.  Northern 

Tribes 

§ 123.  The  Le- 
vites 


Early 

Judean 

Later 

Judean 

Early 

Ephraim- 

ite 

Late 

Prophetic 

Judg.  1 

22-26  4 

2b  V23, 
24) , 127- 
36 

Josh.  11 

1,4-9. 

Josh. 11 

2,  3,  10- 

15,  132a’ 

4b-6 

1116-23,12 

1-24,  21 
43-45' 

131’  7, 

lg2,  3a 
(3b)  4-6 

(7),’8-10 

138’12,  22 

1-6  (7,8) 

1513  .... 

I46-15. 

I61-3,  17 

(la)  lb, 2, 

8,  11-18 

1049b,  50 
2432  . . .’ 

1314  .... 

Late 

Priestly 


PAGE 

276 


279 


Josh.  14 

l-5;i95!a  281 

igl5-21a 
(21b,  22) , 

23-32  _ _ 282 

lgl-12,  20- 

62,  191'9  284 

I64-8  (9), 
173-7;  9, 

10 286 

1811-28..  289 

1910-48  . . 289 

2li-10(H. 

12)  13-42, 
1049a, 51b  gpj 


XXVI 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


III.  Religious  and 
Social  Life  of 
the  H EBREWS 
AFTER  THEIR  IN- 
ITIAL Conquests 
in  Canaan. 

§ 124.  Transfer  of 
the  Centre  of 
Religious  Life 

§ 125.  Establish- 
ment of  Cities 
of  Refuge 


Early 

Judean 


Judg.2la 

^lb-5a)  5b 


§ 126.  Altar  on 
Mount  Ebal. . . 


§ 127.  Alta r by 
the  Jordan.. . . 

§ 128.  Joshua’s 
Farewell  Ad- 
dress  


§ 129.  Death  of 
Joshua  and 
Eleazar 


§ 130.  The  Sanc- 
tuary of  Mi- 
cali  the  Ephra- 
imite* 


Judg.  17 

1,  2a,  3b, 
4a, 5,6,8- 
11a,  12b, 
13  (18la) 


Later 

Judean 


Early  Late 

Ephraim-  Prophetic 
ite 


Late 

Priestly 


Josh.181 


20'-'!(4-6), 


Josh.  8 

30-35  , 


Josh.  22 

9-34, 


(Josh.  24 

1-5  ^6  a) 
6b,  7-1  la 

(llb),  12 

(13),  14- 

17a  (17b), 
17c,  18, 

25a^25  b) 
26-28’ 

Judg.26) 

Josh.  24 

29-30,  33. 


Josh.  23 

!-!6 


Judg.  17 

2b, 3a, 4b, 
7, lib, 12a 


* In  the  text  §§  130  and  131  are  printed  as  one  document, 
xxvii 


PAGE 

293 

294 

294 

295 

297 


300 

300 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


III. 


Religious  and 
Social  Life  of 
the  Hebrews 

AFTER  THEIR  IN- 
ITIAL Conquests 
in  Canaan — Con- 
tinued. 

§ 131.  Establish- 
ment of  the 
Sanctuary  a t 
Dan 


§ 132.  Crime  of 
the  Gibeath- 
ites 


§ 133.  Punish- 
ment of  the 
Crime  of  the 
Gibeathites. . . 


§ 134.  Devotion 
of  Ruth,  the 
Moabitess  .... 


Early 

Judean 

Later 

Judean 

Early 

Ephraim- 

ite 

Late 

Prophetic 

Judg.  18 

lb,  2b,  d, 

Judg.  18 

2a,c,3a,b, 

3c,  4b-6, 

4a,  7a,  c, 

7b,  d,  8b, 

8a,  9a, 

9b,  10a, 

10b,  11, 

12b, 13,17, 

12a, 14-16, 

lSb-29,  31 

18a,  30 

Judg.  19 

l-16a  (16 
b)5 17-30  . 

Judg.  20 

la,  c,  3b- 

8a, 3a,  14, 

19,29,31b, 

32,  36b, 

37a,  38, 

39  a (39b)  ^ 

40  - 42a, 

47,48^  21 
l,15(16a). 
16b  - 18’ 

(19),  20' 
23  (25) 

(Book  of 
Ruth) 

xxviii 


Late 

Priestly 


PAGE 

301 


303 


Judg.  20 

lb,  2,  8b- 
13,  15-18, 

20-28,  30, 

31a,  33-35 

(36a), 

37b,  42b 

(43  a), 43b, 

44‘46,  21 

2-5  a (5b)  ^ 

6-14,  24.  306 


310 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


IV.  Hebrew  Deliverers 
and  the  Gradual 
Consolidation  of 
the  Tribes. 

§ 135.  Traditional 
Conceptions  of 
the  Period  of  Set- 
tlement  

§ 136.  Victory  of 
Qthniel  over  the 

Arameans 

§ 137.  Victory  of  Ehud 
over  the  Moabites 

§138.  Achievements 

of  Shamgar 

§ 139.  Victory  of  Deb- 
orah and  Barak 
over  the  Canaanites 
§ 140.  Gideon’s  (Je- 
rubbaal’s)  Victory 
over  the  Midian- 
ites 


§ 141.  Kingdom  and 
Sanctuary  of  Gid- 
eon  

§ 142.  Kingdom  and 
Reign  of  Abime- 
lech 


§ 143.  Tola  and  Jair. 
§ 144.  Jephthah’s 
Victory  over  the 
Ammonites 


Early  Judean 

Judg.  223a  (23b), 

32a  (2b)  ^ 5a  (5b)  6 

Early  Ephraimite 

(38a,  10,  13,  20-22, 

3la  (lb),  3 (4) 

3(12-15a)(  15b-27a 

(27b) , 28  (29,30) 

sO,2^1* 

4(1-3),  4a  (4b,  5)> 
6-22 

5(31b),6(1),3a-4b* 

g(2a)  2b,  3b,  4a, 

5a,  6a,  11,  12,  13a 

5b  (6b) ( 7-10,  25- 
33,  35-40  yl-15, 

(13b),  14-24,  34f  8 

4-10a  (10b)  ^ 11?  7 

16b,  17b,  18a,  19b, 

16a,  c,  17a,  18b, 

21a,22-25a  (25b)^ 

19a,  c,  20,  21b  8 
12-21 

Sl-3,  29 

824-26 a (26b)  ^ 27 
(28)  ^ 30-32 

822,  23,  29 

8(33-35) ^ gl-5,  26, 

g6-16a  (16b-19a)^ 

27b,  28-33,  34b, 

19b-25,  27a,  34a, 

35-41,  50-55  (56) 

42-49  (57) 

Judg.  10(18),  11 

1017,  1112-28,30, 

la  (lb,  2),  3-lla, 
29  a (29b)  32 

31,  lib,  29c,  33- 

40 

l-4a  (4b)  5,  6a 

(6b,  7) 

/ 

Late  Prophetic 


PAGE 

37.  11.  12.  14-19. . 315 

37"11 318 

318 

331 319 

320 


324 


330 


331 

Judg.  101'5. . . . 335 


106'16 335 


XXIX 


CONTENTS  AND  CLASSIFICATION 


IV.  Hebrew  Deliverers 
and  the  Gradual 
Consolidation  of 
the  Tribes — Cont'd. 


Early  Judean 


Early  Ephraimite 


Late  Prophetic 


§ 145.  Ibzan,  Elon 
and  Abdon 

§ 146.  Samson’s 
Birth 

§ 147.  Samson’s 
Marriage  with 
the  Philistine 
Woman 

§ 148.  Samson’s 
Vengeance  upon 
the  Philistines. . . 

§149.  Samson’s  Feat 
with  the  Gates  of 
Gaza 

§150.  Samson  and 
Delilah 


Judg.  13  (1)>2-5a 

(5b) , 6-25 


H.l-4a  (4b)  5b,  6a 
(6b)  > 7-20  ’ 


151'19  (20) 


161'3. 


104-27 a (27b) # 28- 
31a  (31b) 


CAGE 

Judg.  128"15.  ..  339 

340 


341 

343 

344 

344 


APPENDIX 

I.  Selected  Bibliography  and  Detailed  References 349 

II.  Words  and  Expressions  Peculiar  to  the  Different  Narratives 357 

III.  The  Babylonian  Accounts  of  Creation 360 

IV.  Parallels  to  the  Story  of  Paradise  and  of  Man’s  Fall 360 

V.  The  Babylonian  Parallels  to  the  Flood  Story 373 

VI.  Ancient  Babylonian  Laws  Regarding  Marriages  with  Household 

Slaves 378 

VII.  Esau’s  Descendants  and  the  Early  Edomite  Kings 379 

VIII.  The  Location  of  Sinai-Horeb , 381 

IX.  Tables  of  Weights  and  Measures 382 


XXX 


CONTENTS 


CHART  AND  MAPS 

Growth  and  Approximate  Dates  of  the  Old  Testament  and  Apocryphal 

Writings Frontispiece 

The  Old  Testament  World Opposite  page  49 

The  Primitive  Hebrew  Conception  of  the  Universe Page  52 

Pre-Hebrew  Canaan  in  the  Light  of  the  Egyptian  Monuments  and  the 

Amarna  Letters Opposite  page  71 

The  Land  of  the  Exodus  and  Wilderness  Wandering Opposite  page  179 

Canaan  during  the  Period  of  Conquest  and  Settlement Opposite  page  253 


INDEX  OF  BIBLICAL  PASSAGES 

Explanation  of  Typographical  Symbols  and  Abbreviations Page  xxxv 


xxxl 


INDEX  OF  BIBLICAL  PASSAGES 


Genesis 

CHAPTERS  PAGES 

P-23  51-53 


24a 

51 

24b-319 

53-56 

320 

57 

32 1-24 

56 

41 

58 

,4.2  a 

61 

42b 

58 

^.3-16a 

61,62 

4l6b-18 

58,59 

419-24 

60 

425 

57 

426 

58 

5 

57-59 

64-917 

62-68 

t)18,  19 

69 

Q20-27 

60,61 

10 

69,70 

111-9 

68, 69 

1 1 10-29 

73,74 

ll39 

86 

ll31-^1 

75-78 

132-1424 

81-86 

15 

82-84 

16 

86-88 

171"14 

1715-27 

89 

18,19 

88-93 

20 

76-78 

211-21 

93,  94 

21 22-34 

79,  80 

22 

94-96 

23 

99,  100 

24 

96-99 

251-4 

25s  ’ 6 

99 

257'Ua 

100,  101 

25llb 

99 

2512-18 

101 

Genesis 


CHAPTERS 

PAGES 

25i®- 20.. 

95,  96 

2521-34... 

102, 103 

26i-33  . . . 

76-81 

2634’  35.. 

103, 104 

27 

103-107 

28-34  . . . 

105-122 

35i-4.  . . . 

122, 123 

35s 

122 

356-22a.  . . 

122-124 

3522b-26 

110, 111 

3527-29. . . 

124 

36i-5.  . . . 

379 

366"8.  . . . 

124 

369-43  . . . 

379-381 

37i 

124 

372-36  . . . 

126-129 

38 

124-126 

39-41  . . . 

129-134 

42 

135-137 

43l-i3  . . . 

137, 138 

43i4  . . . . 

137 

4315.4712 

138-144 

47 13-26 

134,  135 

4727-49ia 

144-146 

4glb-27 

4928-5026 

146-148 

Exodus 

li-42l  . . . 

151-159 

422,  23 

169 

424-26 

155 

427-6i  . . . 

158-160 

62-i2  . . . . 

155-157 

R13-25 

152,  153 

«26-30 

157  Note  1 

71-5 

157, 158 

76,  7 

159 

78-12i3  . . 

161-171 

xxxiii 


Exodus 


CHAPTERS 

PAGES 

4321-23^ 

. . .170, 171 

1227b-41 

. . .171-173 

IS51 

173 

1317'22 

. . .172, 173 

141-151 

. . .173,  176 

45 19-25  a 

. . .176, 177 

1.cj25b-26 

. . .209,  210 

1527 

177 

161 

. . .176, 177 

162'36 

. . .208-212 

471a,  b 

. . . 177,  178 

47IC-I6 

. . .213-215 

18 

. . . 197-200 

191'6 

. . .177-182 

197,  8 

187 

199-25 

. . .182, 183 

20 18-22  a 

. . .183, 184 

2g23,  24a 

185 

2229'31 

186 

3312,  15,  16a,  18, 

19b 186 

232°-33 

. . .193, 194 

24l-15a 

. . .186-188 

24l5b-17 

. . .181, 182 

2418a 

. . .183, 184 

2418b 

188 

251"9 

195 

2943'46 

195 

3118a 

184 

3118b 

188 

32-33Sa 

. . . 189-193 

333b-  4 

..  194,195 

335'11 

. . . 195-197 

3312'23 

. . . 193, 194 

341"5 

. . .183-185 

346-9  

194 

34IO,  lla,  14a,  17, 

18a,  19a, 

2°c 183-186 


* For  omitted  passages  in  Ex., 
Num.,  and  Dt.,  cf.  vol.  IV. 


INDEX  OF  BIBLICAL  PASSAGES 


Exodus 


CHAPTERS  PAGES 

34.21a,  22a,  c,  25,  26a,  26b- 


28 

3429-35 

184, 185 

354’  20-  23  . . . . 

196 

4Q17-38 

196 

Numbers 

1 

202,  203 

2 

204-206 

314-22 

203 

323-26 

205 

327,  28 

203 

329-32 

205 

333,  34 

203 

335-38 

206 

339 

203 

1011-28 

206,  207 

1029-32 

198 

1033-1115  

206-210 

ll16-  17 

200 

Hl8-24a 

210,  211 

4424b-30 

200, 201 

1431-35 

211,  212 

121-16 

201-203 

^-lJ10 

215-218 

4411-45 

219-221 

16L187 

222-226 

201"13 

212-214 

2014-29 

226-229 

211-3 

221 

214b-9 

228 

2ll0b-35 

229-233 

22 1 

239 

22a-2419.  . . . . 

233-239 

2425 

239 

251-15 

239,  240 

2516'18 

243 

26 

240-243 

2712-23 

250-252 

Numbers 


CHAPTERS  PAGES 

31 243-245 

32 1-38 246-248 

3239-42 232,  233 

331'17 176-178 

3318-37 226-228 

3338-49 229,230 

3350.3429 248,249 

Deuteronomy 

I9'18 199,200 

l19 206,207 

l20'32 215-218 

134-46 219-221 

2!-8a 226-228 

28b-3n 229-233 

312-20 246,247 

321'29 250,251 

ftl-8.  10,  12a,  16a  iqqiqo 

5l7-21a,  22-33...  .Wise-lss 

82-4,lla,  15,  16 208-210 

99>  10 188 

911-21,  26-29  190-192 

106'  7 228,  229 

108-11 192 

II5-7 223 

31l-8,  14,  15,  23 250,  251 

3248-52 250 

34 ..252 

Joshua 

l1 -829  255-269 

830'35 294,  295 

91-  2 271,  272 

93-131 269-281 

132'4a 276 

134b -6 278 

137  281 

138"12 282,283 


Joshua 


CHAPTERS 

PAGES 

1313 

. .233 

1314  (33). 

...291 

1315-32. . 

282-284 

141-5.  . . , 

281,282 

146-1512. 

284,285 

1513-19 . . 

274-276 

1520-62  . 

285,  286 

1563.  . . . 

273 

I61-9.  ..  . 

286,287 

1610 

278  Note  b 

17 

287,288 

18 1 

293,  294 

182"10.  . . 

281,282 

1811-28. 

289 

191"9.  . . . 

286 

1910-48 

289-291 

1949a 

293 

1949b,  50 

288 

1951 

293 

20 

294 

211'42.  . . 

291-293 

2143-45 

280 

221"8.  . . . 

283,  284 

229"34.  . . 

295-297 

23,24. . . 

297-300 

Judges 

1 

271-278 

21-5 

293,  294 

26 

300  Note  m 

27-42a.  .. 

315-324 

42b 

277 

43-22 

320-324 

423  , 24 

277 

5L1631.  . 

320-346 

17-21. . . 

300-310 

Ruth 

1-5 310-315 


EXPLANATION  OF  TYPOGRAPHICAL  SYMBOLS  AND 
ABBREVIATIONS 


Text  ni  roman  type. 

Supplemental  and  editorial  additions  to  an  older  section  in  smaller  type. 

Superscriptions  in  small  capitals. 

Poetical  passages  are  distinguished  by  smaller  type  and  broken  lines. 

Explanatory  clauses,  found  in  the  original,  in  ( ). 

English  equivalents  of  the  more  significant  Hebrew  proper  names  in  [ ]. 

Words  implied  by  the  context  or  supplied  to  restore  the  original  narratives, 
where  these  have  been  abridged  in  the  process  of  editorial  fusion,  in  italics. 

Foot-notes,  presenting  the  reasons  for  the  analysis  and  classification  of  the  mate- 
rial, significant  alternate  readings,  and  explanatory  material,  in  small  roman 
type. 

Interpretative  side-headings,  giving  a condensed  summary  of  the  accompanying 
text,  on  the  margins  in  small  roman  type. 

Chapter  numbers  in  arabic  figures.  Verse  numbers  in  small  figures  placed 
above  the  line.  Successive  portions  of  a verse  indicated  by  “■  b or  c,  placed 
after  the  verse  number.  Thus,  Genesis  II.  4 (second  part  of  the  verse)  to 
IV.  6 (first  half)  inclusive  is  written  24b-46\ 

Complete  stories  or  literary  units  (with  their  parallels,  if  any)  are  numbered  with 
arabic  numerals  successively  throughout  the  entire  volume  and  are  referred  to 
as  sections.  Thus,  § 2 refers  to  § 2,  The  Primitive  Story  of  Man’s  Creation 
and  Fall,  pp.  53-56. 


AmRV  = American  Revised 
Version  (1901). 

AV  = Authorized  Version 
(1611). 

Apocr.  = Apocrypha  or  apoc- 
ryphal. 

Aram.  = Aramaic. 

Assyr.  = Assyrian. 

Baby.  = Babylonian. 

cf.  = compare. 

e.  g.  = for  example. 

f.  = and  following. 

Gk.  = Greek  B (Vatican) 
text  of  the  O.T. 


General  Abbreviations 

Gk.A  = Alexandrian  Gk.  text 
of  the  O.T. 

Gk.  N = Sinaitic  Gk.  text  of 
the  O.T. 

Heb.  = Hebrew. 

i.  e.  = that  is. 

Jos.  = Josephus. 

Lat.  = Latin  (Vulgate)  text 
of  Jerome. 

Lit.  = literally. 

Luc.  = Lucian’s  Recension 
of  the  Greek  O.T. 

N.T.  = New  Testament. 


Old  L.  = Old  Latin  Version 
of  the  O.T. 

Origen  = Reading  found  in 
Origen’s  Hexapla. 

O.T.  = Old  Testament. 

Pent.  = Pentateuch. 

RV  = Revised yersion  (1885). 
Sam.  = Samaritan  Version  of 
the  Pent. 

Sem.  = Semitic. 

Syr.  = Syriac  Version  of  the 
O.T. 

Targ.  = Targum. 

Vs.  = verse. 


Abbreviations  for  the  Old  Testament  and  Apocryphal  Books 


Gen.  = Genesis. 

Ex.  = Exodus. 

Lev.  = Leviticus. 

Num.  = Numbers. 

Dt.  = Deuteronomy. 

Josh.  = Joshua. 

Judg.  = Judges. 

Sam.  = Samuel. 

Kgs.  = Kings. 

Chr.  = Chronicles. 

Neh.  = Nehemiah. 

Esth.  = Esther. 

Ps.  = Psalms. 

Pr.  = Proverbs. 

Ecc.  = Ecclesiastes. 

Sg.  of  Sgs.  = Song  of  Songs. 


Is.  = Isaiah.  _ 

Jer.  = Jeremiah. 

Lam.  = Lamentations. 
Ezek.  = Ezekiel. 

Dan.  = Daniel. 

Hos.  = Hosea. 

Am.  = Amos. 

Ob.  = Obadiah. 

Jonah  = Jonah. 

Mi.  = Micah. 

Nah.  = Nahum. 

Hab.  = Habakkuk. 
Zeph.  = Zephaniah. 
Hag.  = Haggai. 

Zeeh.  = Zechariah. 
Mai.  = Malachi. 


Esdr.  = Esdras. 

Wisd.  Sol.  = Wisdom  of  Solo- 
mon. 

B.  Sir.  = Ben  Sira  or  Ecelesi- 
astieus. 

Bar.  = Baruch. 

Sg.  of  Three  = Song  of  the 
Three  Children. 

Sus.  = Susanna. 

Pryr.  of  Man.  = Prayer  of 
Manasses. 

Mac.  = Maccabees. 

Enoch  = Book  of  Enoch. 

Ps.  of  Sol.  = Psalms  of  Solo- 
mon. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  ISRAELS  EARLY 
RECORDS 


INTRODUCTION 


I 

ISRAEL’S  HERITAGE  OF  ORAL  TRADITIONS 

“Prove  all  things  and  hold  fast  that  which  is  good”  is  the  guiding 
principle  of  the  present  age.  The  Bible  least  of  all  demands  exemp- 
tion from  this,  its  own  canon.  What  it  is  and  what  its  teachings  have 
done  and  are  capable  of  doing  for  mankind,  constitute  its  supreme 
claim  to  authority.  Tested  by  intrinsic  merit,  the  stories  preserved  in 
the  opening  books  of  the  Old  Testament  are  found  to  possess  a unique 
value,  for  they  reflect  not  merely  the  experiences,  but  also  those  early 
ideas  and  ideals  of  the  Israelites  which  embody  God’s  personal  revela- 
tion through  them  to  the  human  race.  History  is  simply  an  accurate 
representation  of  facts,  while  into  popular  traditions  are  projected  the 
beliefs,  the  aspirations  and  the  eternal  truths  held  by  the  generations 
which  received  and  treasured  them.  They  portray,  therefore,  not 
merely  the  external  but  also  the  mental  and  spiritual  life  of  the  Israel- 
itish  people,  whom  God  was  training  by  varied  experiences  to  make 
known  his  gracious  purpose  to  the  world. 

Furthermore,  their  chief  function  in  the  past,  as  in  the  present,  is  to 
appeal  to  the  minds  and  wills  of  men  and  thus,  by  inspiring  noble 
thoughts  and  acts,  to  make  history,  rather  than  merely  record  it.  That 
they  will  always  continue  to  be  powerful  religious  and  ethical  forces 
in  the  life  of  humanity  needs  no  demonstration.  Acquaintance  with 
them  in  their  original  beauty  and  simplicity  will  increase  rather  than 
diminish  their  efficiency.  Their  influence  is  all  the  more  potent  because 
there  is  little  moralizing.  By  the  deeds,  character,  and  words  of  the 
personages  who  figure  in  the  narratives,  their  lessons  are  imparted 
clearly,  effectively,  and  yet  almost  unconsciously  to  those  who  receive 
them.  One  of  the  reasons  why  they  have  a perennially  helpful  message 
for  men  to-day  is  because,  unlike  the  heroes  of  other  primitive  peoples, 
those  of  the  Old  Testament  are  not  men  of  brute  strength— Samson 
stands  almost  alone — but,  like  Abraham,  they  are  dominated  by  a con- 
suming desire  to  live  in  harmony  with  the  Eternal.  Their  struggles 
are  not  with  panoplied  warriors,  but,  as  in  the  case  of  Jacob,  with  the 
baser  instincts  within  them.  Their  mastering  ambitions  are  not  to 
achieve  possessions  or  glory  for  themselves,  but  to  secure  divine  favor 
and  blessings  for  their  race.  If,  like  Joseph  or  Moses,  their  circum- 
stances made  them  men  of  affairs,  they  won  success  by  their  faithful, 
unselfish  devotion  to  every  duty  and  opportunity  which  presented 

3 


Histor- 
ical val- 
ue of 
popular 
tradi- 
tions 


As  re- 
ligious 
and 
moral 
forces 


Ar  ar- 
chaeolog- 
ical 

sources 


As  liter- 
ature 


The  real 
charac- 
ter of 
tradi- 
tions 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 

itself,  and  success  attained  was  simply  made  in  turn  the  instrument  of 
helpfulness  to  others. 

The  Old  Testament  stories  also  contain  illustrations  of  almost  every 
phase  of  Israel’s  social  and  institutional  life.  Unconsciously,  but 
faithfully,  they  reflect  the  conditions  existing  during  the  periods  from 
which  they  come.  Without  them  our  knowledge  of  that  marvellous 
people,  who  have  so  fundamentally  moulded  and  vitalized  modern  civili- 
zation, would  be  very  imperfect. 

Viewed  as  literature  they  have  a peculiar  charm  which  is  the  result 
of  the  long  process  of  simplification,  attrition,  and  embellishment  to 
which  they  have  for  centuries  been  subjected.  Their  appreciation  as 
literature,  instead  of  being  a sin,  “as  some  have  ignorantly  imagined,” 
is  the  duty  and  privilege  of  every  lover  of  the  Bible.  Like  the  poems 
of  Homer  or  the  earliest  literary  products  of  every  truly  great  people, 
they  are  the  priceless  pearls  of  thought  and  diction,  which  the  Hebrew 
race  had  long  treasured  in  its  memory  and  at  last  intrusted  to  the  written 
page.  Little  wonder  that  they  fascinate  old  and  young  alike  by  their 
lucidity,  vividness,  and  dramatic  interest.  No  other  writings  are  more 
simple  and  yet  so  instructive,  more  concrete  and  yet  so  universal  in  their 
application.  They  were  Israel’s  richest  heritage  from  antiquity,  and 
are  among  the  most  valuable  of  the  many  contributions  which  the  He- 
brews have  made  to  the  common  literature  of  mankind. 

Fortunately,  the  present  age  is  beginning  to  listen  to  the  testimony 
which  the  Bible  itself  gives  regarding  its  origin  and  real  character. 
At  the  same  time  the  popular  misconception  that  the  word  “tradition” 
implies  that  the  literature  thus  designated  is  necessarily  untrustworthy 
and  unhistorical  is  fast  disappearing.  True  to  its  derivation,  the  term 
only  means  “that  which  is  transmitted  or  handed  down  orally  from 
generation  to  generation.”  It  ordinarily  implies  a period  of  oral  trans- 
mission. When  it  is  recalled  that  during  the  first  quarter  century  fob- 
lowing  the  death  of  Jesus,  while  hearers  and  eyewitnesses  lived  to  re- 
count the  facts,  probably  not  one  of  his  acts  or  teachings  was  recorded 
in  writing,  the  value  and  possibilities  of  oral  tradition  are  strikingly 
revealed.  The  amount  of  historical  data  thus  transmitted  naturally 
depends  upon  the  character  of  the  material,  the  length  of  the  period, 
and  the  ability  of  those  who  handed  them  down  to  retain  the  original 
facts.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  some  traditions  preserve  little 
strictly  historical  data,  while  others  contain  much.  No  sharp  distinc- 
tion can  be  drawn  in  this  respect  between  traditions  and  historical  rec- 
ords, for  at  best  it  is  only  relative.  In  the  Old  Testament  the  one 
gradually  merges  into  the  other.  While  the  Hebrews  were  nomads, 
without  a definite  national  organization  and  probably  personally  un- 
acquainted with  the  art  of  writing,  it  would  appear  that  they  had  few 
if  any  written  records.  Moreover,  popular  memory  was  able  satisfac- 
torily to  answer  all  questions  which  might  be  raised  regarding  the  past. 
When,  however,  they  settled  in  Canaan  and  passed  through  thrilling 
tribal  and  national  experiences,  which  made  a deep  impression  upon 

4 


ISRAEL’S  HERITAGE  OF  ORAL  TRADITIONS 


their  memories,  the  historical  element  in  their  traditions  became  more 
prominent.  The  result  is  that  the  records  which  relate  to  later  events, 
as,  for  example,  those  in  the  book  of  Judges,  do  not  differ  greatly  from 
the  sober  written  records  of  a later  literary  age. 

The  establishment  of  the  Hebrew  monarchy  in  the  days  of  Saul 
(about  1050  b.c.)  and  the  beginning  of  the  great  struggle  for  national 
independence,  which  resulted  in  the  union  of  all  the  tribes  under  the 
victorious  rule  of  David,  marks  in  general  the  transition  from  the  age 
of  popular  song  and  story  to  that  of  historical  narration.  A com- 
parison of  the  story  of  Eden,  in  which  Jehovah  and  the  serpent  are 
represented  as  speaking  (Gen.  2-3),  with  the  realistic  account  of  Ab- 
salom’s rebellion  (II  Sam.  13-20),  illustrates  the  fundamental  differ- 
ences in  form  and  representation  between  the  literary  products  of  these 
two  very  different  eras.  The  one  suggests  the  ancient  bard,  the  seer, 
and  the  camp-fire;  the  other  the  court  annalist  and  the  prophetic  his- 
torian. In  the  one  the  concrete  details  are  but  the  clothing  of  the 
primitive  beliefs  and  ideals;  while  in  the  other  the  bald  historical  facts 
are  simply  portrayed.  The  latter  is  limited  to  certain  dates  and 
themes;  while  the  narratives  which  come  from  the  age  of  song  and 
story  know  no  such  limits,  but  go  back  millenniums  before  the  begin- 
nings of  Hebrew  history  to  the  origin  of  the  universe,  of  sin,  and 
of  human  civilization. 

Wars,  the  rise  and  fall  of  dynasties  and  the  social  and  institutional 
life  of  their  nation,  command  the  attention  of  later  historians;  but  the 
themes  which  interested  the  early  Hebrews  and  their  Semitic  ancestors 
were  much  more  varied.  Like  children,  they  asked  innumerable  ques- 
tions regarding  everything  which  they  saw  and  heard,  and  especially 
those  things  which  personally  concerned  them,  and,  like  children  to- 
day, did  not  always  stop  to  investigate  whether  the  answer  was  based 
on  fact  or  fancy.  They  who  asked  were  also  obliged  to  answer  their 
own  inquiries  in  the  light  of  their  imperfect  knowledge.  Some  of  these 
answers  must  be  recognized  in  the  light  of  fuller  historical  and  scien- 
tific truth  to  have  been  originally  but  crude  guesses  at  the  riddles  of 
existence,  or  else  the  attempt  to  record  in  picturesque  outlines  the  his- 
tory of  the  ages  regarding  which  human  memory  has  retained  little 
definite  information.  It  is  fortunate  that  their  permanent  value  de- 
pends upon  something  far  more  abiding  than  the  amount  of  historical 
information  which  they  may  contain. 

Since  the  Israelites  were  among  the  youngest  of  the  Semitic  nations, 
it  was  to  be  expected  that  they  derived  certain  traditions,  as  well  as 
institutions,  from  their  ancestors  and  kinsmen,  already  thousands  of 
years  old  in  experience.  Modern  discoveries  have  strikingly  confirmed 
the  truth  of  this  conclusion.  Divine  revelation  was  not  entirely  limited 
to  one  race  or  age  in  the  past,  any  more  than  in  the  present.  Through 
the  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  inscriptions  it  is  now  possible  to  tap  the 
current  of  ancient  Semitic  tradition  centuries  before  the  days  of  Moses, 
and  to  determine  approximately  the  earlier  forms  of  certain  of  the  Old 

5 


The  age 
of  song 
and 
story 


Origin 
of  popu- 
lar tra- 
ditions 


Israel's 
debt  to 
the  oldet 
Semitic 
nations 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Natural- 
ization 
of  tradi- 
tions 


Classifi- 
cation of 
tradi- 
tions : 
trans- 
formed 
myths 


Testament  stories.  From  the  Babylonians,  whose  civilization  had 
reached  its  zenith  and  was  already  growing  old  before  the  Hebrews 
entered  Canaan,  they  may  also  have  received  directly  or  indirectly 
many  of  their  narratives  regarding  the  beginnings  of  universal  history. 
For  at  least  five  centuries  the  civilizations  of  the  Tigris-Euphrates  val- 
ley had  dominated  Palestine,  which  had  long  been  settled  by  Semitic 
peoples.  Not  only  did  they  find  it  regnant  in  the  land,  which  ulti- 
mately became  their  home,  but  their  records  also  assert  that  their  an- 
cestors originally  migrated  from  the  same  seat  of  ancient  Semitic 
culture.  That  they  should  bear  with  them  and  later  receive  anew 
through  the  Canaanites  the  traditional  inheritances  from  the  common 
ancestors  of  their  race  was  an  inevitable  result  of  the  historical  situa- 
tion. Also  in  the  older  Semitic  inhabitants  of  Palestine,  whom  they 
ultimately  conquered  and  absorbed,  but  whose  civilization  in  turn  con- 
quered them,  they  found  teachers  who  not  only  instructed  them  in  the 
arts,  but  also  imparted  to  them  many  of  their  varied  traditions.  The 
origin,  therefore,  of  certain  of  the  familiar  narratives  in  Genesis  un- 
doubtedly lies  far  back  in  the  Semitic  past.  They  represent  not  three 
but  at  least  thirty  centuries  of  human  thought  and  divine  revelation. 
If  age  and  the  indorsement  of  countless  generations  imparts  authority, 
they  certainly  possess  it  in  the  highest  degree.  They  are  the  unbroken 
links  which  bind  the  present  to  the  pre-historie  past,  and  enable  us  to 
think  again  the  thoughts  in  the  mind  of  primitive  man. 

Popular  traditions,  like  proverbs,  are  often  migratory  and  are  readily 
adopted  and  adapted  to  the  point  of  view  of  a later  age.  Thus  assimi- 
lated, they  become  in  a very  true  sense  a new  creation.  In  the  Old 
Testament,  instead  of  many  gods  or  the  local  deities  of  Canaan  and 
the  desert,  Jehovah,  the  one  God  of  the  Hebrews,  appears,  and  with 
him  an  infinitely  nobler  religious  atmosphere.  Ancient  traditions  also 
receive  a new  and  distinctively  Israelitish  setting.  Thus  the  story  of 
the  visit  of  the  three  heavenly  beings,  which  the  Hebrews  share  with 
the  Greeks  (Ovid,  Fast.  V.  495  ff.),  is  localized  at  Hebron  (Gen.  18). 
Egypt’s  immemorial  agrarian  policy  is  attributed  to  Joseph,  § 50.  Un- 
consciously the  old  stories  are  modified  and  made  to  reflect  the  later  ex- 
periences of  the  Hebrews.  Thus  Abraham’s  adventure  at  the  Egyptian 
court  contains  suggestions  of  the  bondage  and  deliverance  of  the  Israel- 
ites from  Egypt,  § 13;  the  Jacob-Laban  stories  reveal  the  attitude  of  the 
Hebrews  toward  the  Aramean  foes  in  the  days  following  the  death  of 
Solomon.  As  will  be  shown  later  (p.  19,  20),  it  was  their  transforma- 
tion in  Hebrew  minds,  and  at  the  hand  of  Israel’s  inspired  teachers, 
that  gave  these  ancient  traditions  their  permanent  and  unique  religious 
value. 

A general  classification  of  the  narratives  found  in  the  opening  books 
of  the  Old  Testament  makes  evident  their  diverse  character  and  rela- 
tionships, and  suggests  their  origin  and  history.  That  the  early 
Hebrews  received,  along  with  their  other  inheritances  from  their 
Semitic  forefathers,  many  popular  myths,  is  shown  by  the  frequent 

6 


ISRAEL’S  HERITAGE  OF  ORAL  TRADITIONS 


references  to  them  in  the  prophetic,  and  especially  the  poetic  books, 
like  Job  and  the  later  apocalyptic  writings  ( e . g..  Is.  519,  Job.  3s,  913, 
2 612,  Ps.  8910)-  Of  these  the  story  of  Jehovah’s  combat  with  Rahab  or 
the  Leviathan  was  the  best  known  (Appendix  III.).  Naturally  myths 
figured  more  prominently  in  the  minds  of  the  common  people  than  in  the 
thought  of  their  inspired  teachers.  While  the  earlier  prophets  neither 
accepted  nor  openly  attacked  them,  they  usually  indicated  their  mild  dis- 
approval by  ignoring  them.  Only  later  poets  and  prophets,  who  lived 
when  the  popular  belief  in  myths  was  dead,  dared  employ  their  imagery 
as  illustrations,  very  much  as  modern  writers  utilize  the  figures  sug- 
gested by  Greek  mythology.  Israel’s  belief  in  one  supreme  God  was 
irreconcilable  with  the  premises  assumed  in  most  of  the  Semitic  myths 
which  the  monuments  have  disclosed.  The  exalted  ethical  standards 
of  the  Hebrew  teachers  were  also  hostile  to  their  often  immoral  impli- 
cations. The  result  is  that  the  Old  Testament  is  characterized  among 
the  literary  collections  coming  from  antiquity  by  the  comparative  ab- 
sence of  the  mythological  element.  Only  traces  of  this  are  found  in 
the  earliest  stories,  where  the  dependence  upon  ancient  Semitic  tradi- 
tion is  greatest,  as,  for  example,  in  the  narratives  of  the  creation,  the 
garden  of  Eden,  the  flood,  and  the  tower  of  Babel.  Since  in  certain 
cases  it  is  now  possible  -to  compare  the  older  versions  (Appendices 
III.-V.)  with  the  Hebrew,  the  care  with  which  the  biblical  writers  elim- 
inated polytheistic  and  immoral  elements  is  clearly  apparent.  Purified, 
ennobled,  and  consecrated  to  an  exalted  purpose,  these  ancient  myths 
have  almost  entirely  lost  their  mythological  character  and  have  become 
the  apt  medium  through  which  are  conveyed  some  of  the  noblest  spirit- 
ual truths  ever  presented  to  man.  The  secondary  aim  which  influenced 
Israel’s  teachers  thus  to  utilize  them  was  evidently  that  they  might 
save  the  people  from  the  debasing  influence  of  these  popular  myths. 
Thus,  in  the  story  of  the  sons  of  God  and  the  daughters  of  men  (Gen. 
61'4,  § 7),  where  the  mythological  character  of  the  tradition  is  most  evi- 
dent, the  familiar  folk-tale  is  briefly  introduced  by  the  prophet  that  he 
may  brand  its  immoral  teaching  with  Jehovah’s  disapproval.  Like  the 
great  Teacher  of  Nazareth,  the  prophets  indicated  their  claim  to  be 
God’s  spokesmen  by  using  those  things,  which  were  regarded  as  com- 
mon or  unclean,  to  make  clear  to  men  the  character  and  purpose  of  the 
eternal  Father. 

The  perennial  questions,  “Why”  and  “How,”  which  are  the  main- 
spring of  all  scientific  research,  gave  rise  in  their  original  form  to  some 
of  the  traditions  found  in  the  Old  Testament.  Crude  though  their 
conclusions  sometimes  seem,  they  possess  a deep  interest  because  they 
represent  the  beginnings  of  human  science.  Here  the  analogies  are 
closest  with  the  traditions  of  other  peoples,  for  to  similar  questions 
much  the  same  answers  were  given  by  races  on  like  stages  of  culture. 
Thus  almost  every  primitive  people  had  its  stories  of  the  creation  and 
the  flood.  These  traditions,  as  a whole,  may  be  classified  as  getiolog- 
ical,  for  they  deal  with  the  origin  and  development  of  things.  They 

7 


Proto 

scien 

tific 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Ethno- 

logical 


may,  however,  be.  divided  into  several  distinct  groups.  To  the  first, 
which  is  concerned  with  the  origin  of  the  material  universe  and  natural 
phenomena,  properly  belong  the  accounts  of  creation;  many  elements 
in  the  story  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  as,  for  example,  the  suggested  origin 
of  the  pains  of  childbirth,  and  the  reason  why  serpents,  unlike  other 
animals,  are  not  provided  with  legs ; the  various  explanations  of  the 
diversity  of  nations,  language,  and  occupations  given  in  the  traditions 
of  the  sons  of  Adam,  of  the  flood,  and  of  the  tower  of  Babel;  and  the 
popular  tradition  regarding  the  origin  of  the  barren  waste  to  the  north 
of  the  Dead  Sea. 

Parallel  to  the  interest  which  the  ancients  took  in  the  natural  world 
about  them  was  their  curiosity  regarding  the  origin,  characteristics, 
and  relationships  of  peoples  whose  territory  and  history  touched  their 
own.  A large  number  of  the  stories  of  Genesis  are  therefore  ethnolog- 
ical. They  embody  the  popular  beliefs  regarding  the  origin  of  the 
Hebrews,  the  Moabites,  the  Ammonites,  the  Edomites,  the  Ishmaelites, 
the  Arameans  and  the  nature  of  their  relationship  to  each  other.  Tradi- 
tion also  ever  had  a ready  answer  to  such  queries  as  to  why  the  different 
peoples  and  tribes  were  located  in  the  particular  territory  which  they 
later  held,  or  why  the  Ishmaelites  were  wanderers,  while  the  Hebrews 
were  in  possession  of  Canaan.  True  to  the  natural  instincts  of  a race 
whose  ancestors  were  nomads  and  whose  social  unit  was  the  family, 
national  and  tribal  traditions  usually  took  the  form  of  individual 
biographies.  Even  in  the  ethnological  tables,  like  that  found  in 
Genesis  10,  peoples,  as,  for  example,  the  Egyptians  and  Canaanites,  or 
cities  like  Tarshish  and  Sidon,  are  spoken  of  as  individuals.  In  verses 
13  and  14  it  is  stated  that  Egypt  begat  six  nations,  the  plural  ending 
of  whose  names  clearly  indicates  that  the  tradition  is  dealing  not  with 
individuals  but  races.  The  first  chapter  of  Judges  also  contains  strik- 
ing illustrations  of  the  same  common  Semitic  usage,  § 114.  It  de- 
scribes the  initial  conquests  of  the  different  Israelitish  tribes,  but  each 
tribe  is  represented  as  an  individual.  Thus  the  conversation  between 
Judah  and  “his  brother”  Simeon  is  reported  in  3.  Judah,  however,  in  4 
takes  both  a singular  and  a plural  verb.  This  characteristic  Semitic 
method  of  presenting  tribal  relationships  and  experiences  must  con- 
stantly be  borne  in  mind  in  interpreting  the  stories  associated  with  the 
names  of  Abraham,  Jacob-Israel,  and  Joseph.  The  majority  of  these 
ethnological  traditions  are  also  localized  in  the  hazy,  undefined  age  of 
the  patriarchs,  which  is  removed  at  least  four  or  five  centuries  from  the 
period  when  they  were  committed  to  writing,  and  the  only  connecting 
link  appears  to  have  been  the  memory  of  wandering  tribes.  In  relative 
point  of  time  the  period  of  the  patriarchs  corresponds  in  Hebrew  his- 
tory to  the  age  of  myth  and  legend  among  other  primitive  peoples. 
These  facts  suggest  the  much-debated  problem  which  must  be  consid- 
ered in  connection  with  each  of  these  traditions:  “Are  the  experiences 
which  are  therein  portrayed  those  of  an  individual  or  of  a tribe?”  and 
“Where  does  the  realm  of  legend  end  and  that  of  history  begin?” 

8 


ISRAEL’S  HERITAGE  OF  ORAL  TRADITIONS 


That  a large  proportion  of  the  traditions,  contained  in  the  first  eight 
books  of  the  Old  Testament,  can  properly  be  classified  as  historical  in 
the  sense  that  they  reflect  authentic  facts  and  experiences,  seems  both 
reasonable  and  probable.  Traditions  are  readily  modified  in  the 
process  of  transmission,  but  ordinarily  those  which  relate  to  detailed 
events  and  persons  contain  at  least  an  historical  nucleus.  Although 
these  ancient  stories  subserve  far  higher  ends  than  merely  perpetuating 
the  memory  of  early  man  and  his  achievements,  the  patient  investigator, 
after  subjecting  them  to  the  searching  tests  of  historical  criticism,  finds 
there  a valuable  body  of  data  to  aid  him  in  reconstructing  the  outlines 
of  early  Israelitish  history.  Especially  is  this  true  of  tlie  stories  which 
relate  to  the  period  beginning  with  the  exodus.  The  character  of  the 
traditions  changes  likewise:  instead  of  being  general  pictures  equally 
true  to  certain  stages  of  culture  in  all  ages,  they  are  filled  with  local 
details.  Instead  of  standing  independently,  they  are  more  closely  knit 
together,  as  they  trace  the  successive  steps  in  the  evolution  of  the 
Hebrew  nation.  Finally  in  the  book  of  Judges  events  are  usually  rep- 
resented as  taking  place  as  a result  of  ordinary  rather  than  extraor- 
dinary means.  There,  through  men’s  minds  and  works,  Jehovah  gradu- 
ally, but  none  the  less  effectually,  realizes  his  purpose  in  human  history, 
not  by  special  revelations  and  supernatural  interventions. 

Three  distinct  types  of  historical  traditions  may  be  distinguished. 
The  first  relates  to  the  history  of  the  Israelitish  race.  To  this  class 
certainly  belong  some,  if  not  most,  of  the  stories  of  the  patriarchs. 
The  migration  of  Abraham  to  Canaan,  for  example,  represents  the 
greater  Aramean  movement  which  brought  the  ancestors  of  the 
Hebrews  to  Palestine.  This  group  also  includes  most  of  the  stories  in 
Exodus,  Numbers,  and  Joshua.  Another  class,  which  includes  tribal 
traditions,  is  illustrated  by  the  stories  of  Dinah  and  Tamar  (Gen. 
34,  38).  Here  the  conflicts  and  alliances  between  tribes  are  recorded 
in  the  form  of  individual  biographies.  In  the  book  of  Judges,  however, 
which  contains  many  similar  narratives,  the  tribes  themselves  are  the 
actors  in  the  stormy  dramas  therein  recounted.  The  first  chapter  of 
Judges  marks  the  transition  from  the  older  to  the  later  form  of  tribal 
tradition.  The  third  class  of  historical  traditions  relates  the  experi- 
ences and  achievements  of  individual  heroes.  Although  many  stories, 
which  at  first  glance  might  be  assigned  to  this  group,  properly  belong 
to  the  first  or  second,  it  is  obvious  that  the  Old  Testament  contains 
many  biographical  sketches  of  the  men  and  women  who  were  influential 
in  shaping  Hebrew  history.  It  is  reasonable  to  believe  that  back  of 
the  varied  stories  associated  with  the  name  of  Abraham,  was  a man  of 
strong  personality — probably  a leader  of  one  of  the  earliest  Aramean 
migrations — who  made  a deep  impression  upon  his  own  and  later  gen- 
erations. Recent  discoveries  have  also  established  the  strong  proba- 
bility that  the  outlines  of  the  Joseph  stories  are  historical.  The  same 
is  true  of  the  thrilling  tales  told  of  Israel’s  early  champions  and  re- 
corded in  the  book  of  Judges. 


Histor- 

ical 


Differ- 

ent 

types  of 
histor- 
ical tra- 
ditions 


9 


I 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 

institu-  Another  large  group  of  traditions  was  intended  to  explain  the  origin 
and  nature  of  existing  customs  and  institutions.  Thus  the  majestic 
first  chapter  of  Genesis  gives  one  of  the  several  explanations  of  the 
origin  and  sanctity  of  the  sabbath,  which  are  found  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. The  striking  details  of  the  Feast  of  the  Passover  (which  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a very  old  Semitic  institution,  cf.  § 71)  were  all 
associated  with  the  events  immediately  preceding  the  departure  of  the 
Hebrews  from  Egypt.  In  the  same  way  the  fact  that  the  Hebrews 
did  not  eat  the  muscle  of  the  thigh  was  explained  by  the  story  of 
Jacob’s  wrestling  with  the  divine  messenger,  § 39;  the  peculiar  limping 
in  the  sacred  dances  at  Penuel  was  because  Jacob’s  hip  was  lamed  in 
the  same  struggle ; the  annual  lamentation  of  the  Gileadite  women  was 
traced  to  the  sacrifice  of  JejDhthah’s  daughter,  § 14*4.  Certain  impor- 
tant religious  customs  were  differently  explained  by  different  tradi- 
tions. For  exanqile,  in  one  passage  circumcision  is  connected  with 
Moses,  § 6l,  while  in  another  it  is  represented  as  first  revealed  to  Abra- 
ham, § 19-  Illustrations  might  be  multiplied  to  show  how  early  and 
how  deep  was  the  interest  among  the  Israelites  in  the  origins,  especially 
of  their  religious  institutions.  These  traditions  mark  the  beginning  of 
the  study  of  religion.  The  same  interest  which  prompted  the  question, 
“Why  are  certain  institutions  observed  as  they  are?”  doubtless  led  the 
people  to  ask,  “Why  are  certain  places,  like  Hebron,  Shechem,  Bethel, 
Beersheba,  Penuel,  and  Mahanaim,  regarded  as  holy  and  provided  with 
sanctuaries  to  which  the  people  make  frequent  pilgrimages?  Why, 
also,  are  certain  stones  or  trees  or  wells  at  these  shrines  regarded  with 
especial  awe  and  veneration?”  Modern  comparative  religion  offers  a 
variety  of  answers  and  history  demonstrates  that  far  back  in  pre- 
Hebrew  times  these  spots  and  objects  had  been  held  to  be  sacred,  but 
the  reply  which  satisfied  the  minds  of  the  Israelites  and  confirmed  their 
title  to  Canaan  was  that  at  these  different  places  God  had  revealed 
himself  to  some  one  of  their  ancestors.  As  Jacob  lay  at  night  pillowed 
on  a stone  at  Bethel,  he  saw  the  angels  descending  to  earth  from  the 
abode  of  God,  § 31.  Hence  that  stone  was  regarded  as  the  very  thresh- 
old of  heaven.  At  Hebron  the  divine  beings  became  the  guests  of 
Abraham,  § 19-  Through  the  thorn  bush  on  the  sacred  mountain 
Jehovah  spoke  to  Moses,  § 6l,  and  later  amidst  the  manifestations  of 
his  presence  revealed  his  law  through  his  servant  to  the  Israelitish  race, 
§ 75.  At  Ophrah  the  messenger  of  God  appeared  to  Gideon,  who  on  his 
return  as  victor  established  a sanctuary  there,  § 141.  Each  holy  place 
probably  treasured  some  such  tradition  as  its  divine  charter. 

Age  Similarly  the  Ishmaelites  had  a tradition  regarding  their  sacred  well 

which  Lahai-roi.  This  would  perhaps  suggest  that  certain  of  these  stories 

come  associated  with  the  shrines  of  Palestine  were  older  than  the  Hebrews. 
They  all  bespeak  an  age  of  reflection  and  advanced  religious  thought, 
when  a god  was  no  longer  conceived  of  as  dwelling  in  every  sacred 
stone  or  tree.  In  their  present  form,  also,  they  point  to  the  belief  in 
one  God  who  at  various  times  and  places  had  revealed  and  would  reveal 

10 


ISRAEL’S  HERITAGE  OF  ORAL  TRADITIONS 


himself  to  those  who  needed  and  sought  to  know  him.  They  mark, 
therefore,  a great  step  forward  in  the  history  of  religious  faith. 

Another  interesting  group  of  stories  is  primarily  concerned  with  the 
origin  and  meaning  of  proper  names.  They  reveal  the  beginnings  of 
the  science  of  language,  although  modern  comparative  philology  has 
demonstrated  that  most  of  the  popular  etymologies  therein  suggested 
are  based  simply  on  similarity  of  sound  between  the  ancient  names  and 
current  Hebrew  words,  and  not  on  their  etymological  derivation.  The 
motive  which  gave  rise  to  these  peculiar  traditions  was  obviously  not 
philological,  but  rather  the  firm  Semitic  belief  that  the  name  possessed 
a deep  significance  and  was  indicative  of  the  origin  or  character  of 
the  person  or  object  bearing  it.  The  number  of  these  popular  etymolo- 
gies is  surprisingly  great.  Especially  in  the  patriarchal  stories  the 
attempt  is  made  to  explain  nearly  every  important  proper  name.  Thus 
Abraham  is  interpreted  in  Genesis  176  as  “the  father  of  a multitude” 
( Ab-hamon).  Jacob  is  the  “heel-holder,”  because  at  his  birth  he  held 
his  twin  brother  by  the  heel  (Gen.  2526).  Often  two  distinct  origins 
are  given  for  the  same  word:  in  Genesis  1812  Isaac  is  so  named  because 
his  mother  laughed  ( sahak ) when  his  birth  was  promised,  while  in  1717 
it  is  Abraham  who  laughed;  according  to  Genesis  2128"30,  the  famous 
sanctuary  of  Beersheba  is  “the  well  of  seven”  (Beer-sheba‘ ),  because 
there  Abraham  gave  Abimelech  seven  lambs;  but  according  to  2131  it 
is  “the  well  of  the  oath”  (Beer-sheba  ),  because  there  Abraham  and 
Abimelech  took  oath  with  each  other.  In  cases  like  the  latter  it  would 
seem  that  the  tradition  arose  as  the  result  of  a naive  endeavor  to  explain 
the  name.  Ordinarily,  however,  the  etymologies  are  introduced  simply 
as  supplemental  elements  in  a longer  tradition. 

A few  traditions  cannot  be  classified  under  any  of  the  above  head- 
ings. The  chief  motive  which  produced  them  seems  simply  to  have 
been  the  desire  to  entertain.  Of  this  character  is  the  long  and  elabor- 
ate story  of  the  successful  journey  of  Abraham’s  servant  to  secure 
Rebekah  as  a wife  for  Isaac,  § 24;  the  detailed  account  of  the  tricks 
which  Jacob  and  Laban  played  upon  each  other,  §§  33-37 ; and  the 
familiar  tales  regarding  Samson,  §§  147-150.  Obviously  they  were 
great  favorites  with  the  people.  Many  stories  consist  of  diverse  ele- 
ments, which  probably  once  existed  independently.  Thus  in  the  narra- 
tive of  the  garden  of  Eden,  § 2,.  it  seems  clear  that  remnants  of  certain 
old  Semitic  myths  are  to  be  recognized  (cf.  Appendix  IV.).  Back  of 
the  story,  as  a whole,  is  the  historical  fact  that  the  lower  waters  of  the 
Tigris  and  Euphrates  were  the  seat  of  the  earliest  Semitic  civilization. 
A scientific  motive  is  revealed  in  the  explanation  that  is  offered  of  why 
serpents  crawl  in  the  dust,  why  women  suffer  the  pains  of  childbirth, 
and  why  men  must  toil  to  eat.  An  interest  in  institutions  appears  in 
the  reason  given  for  the  nature  and  sanctity  of  the  marriage  bond. 
Finally,  the  name  of  Eve  (Heb.  Hawrva ) is  derived  from  the  Hebrew 
word  to  live  (hawa ),  “because  she  was  the  mother  of  all  living.”  Thus 
mythological,  historical,  proto-scientific,  institutional,  and  etymological 

11 


Etymc 

logical 

tradi- 

tions 


Popular 

tradi- 

tions 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Conclu- 

sion 


traditions  are  all  drawn  upon  by  the  great  prophet  who  with  a few 
bold  strokes  portrayed  in  immortal  colors  the  origin,  essence,  and  con- 
sequences of  human  sin.  In  the  same  way  it  is  possible  to  analyze  the 
constituent  elements  in  such  mixed  traditions  as  the  flight  of  Hagar, 
§ 22,  the  stories  regarding  Beersheba,  § 39,  and  the  sin  at  Meribah, 
§ 88. 

This  general  survey  of  the  Old  Testament  traditions  has  suggested 
how  great  was  Israel’s  debt  to  earlier  Semitic  civilizations  and  to  its 
own  age  of  song  and  story.  In  the  picturesque,  concrete  form  of  popu- 
lar traditions  were  transmitted  the  thoughts,  the  beliefs,  the  fancies,  and 
the  experiences  of  preceding  generations.  The  variety  of  the  motives 
and  influences  which  gave  rise  to  these  is  astonishing.  Some  were  at 
first  intended  simply  to  entertain,  others  to  enlighten,  to  kindle  patriot- 
ism, to  instruct  in  the  ritual,  and  to  inspire  true  faith  and  action.  They 
touch  almost  every  side  of  human  experience  and  meet  in  a remarkable 
manner  man’s  varied  needs.  In  different  ages,  in  different  circum- 
stances, and  in  different  minds  they  took  form  gradually  under  the 
divine  direction.  Coming,  as  many  of  them  do,  from  extreme  antiquity, 
when  ethical  principles  were  only  imperfectly  developed,  it  is  not 
strange  that  they  retain  a few  of  their  birthmarks.  Like  a mirror,  they 
faithfully  reflect  every  important  phase  in  the  early  culture  of  the 
Hebrew  race.  While  they  demonstrate  conclusively  that  Israel’s  re- 
ligious and  ethical  education,  like  that  of  other  less  favored  nations, 
was  gradual  and  progressive,  they  also  show  with  equal  clearness  that 
at  a very  early  period  the  seeds  of  spiritual  truth  began  to  germinate 
and  bear  attractive  fruits  in  the  stories  which  were  found  on  the  lips  of 
the  people.  Simply,  naturally,  and  majestically  the  divine  purpose 
and  revelation  for  mankind  were  beginning  to  unfold. 


II 


THE  TRANSMISSION  AND  CRYSTALLIZATION  OF 
ISRAEL’S  TRADITIONS  INTO  LITERATURE 

A primitive  tradition,  like  a proverb  or  a folk-song,  usually  has  a 
long  history.  Many  of  Israel’s  traditions  undoubtedly  continued  for 
centuries  to  be  recorded  simply  in  the  minds  of  the  people.  As  among 
the  nomadic  Arabs  to-day  they  were  recounted  during  the  long  evenings 
beside  the  camp-fires,  or  as  the  shepherds  watched  their  slow-moving 
flocks,  or  in  the  secret  of  the  harem,  or  at  the  wells  as  the  maidens  went 
out  to  draw  water,  or  at  marriage  feasts  and  religious  festivals.  Pos- 
sibly, as  throughout  all  the  towns  of  modern  Palestine,  there  were  found 
professional  story-tellers  who,  whenever  men  were  gathered  together 
for  recreation,  recited  with  gesture  and  action  their  bundle  of  tales. 
The  stories  appealed  strongly  to  the  imagination  of  the  people,  for  they 
told  of  courtship,  of  marriage,  of  intrigue,  and  of  the  achievements  of 
their  ancestors,  or  else  answered  the  questions  which  were  uppermost 
in  their  minds.  Other  traditions,  embodying  the  experiences  of  the 
tribe,  were  transmitted  as  sacred  possessions  from  father  to  son.  An- 
other large  group  was  treasured  at  the  many  local  sanctuaries  scattered 
throughout  the  land.  Each  time  that  the  worshippers  made  a pil- 
grimage to  the  shrine,  its  especial  cycle  of  traditions  relating  to  its 
history  and  ceremonies  would  be  recounted  or  recalled  and  thus  kept 
fresh  in  the  popular  memory.  Later  survivals  of  this  ancient  custom 
are  recorded.  Thus  in  Exodus  1226,  27  Moses  is  represented  as  in- 
structing the  people,  “when  their  children  say  to  them,  ‘What  do  you 
mean  by  this  ceremony?’  ” to  tell  them  the  story  of  how  their  ancestors 
were  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  Egypt.  The  same  command  is 
repeated  in  IS14,  15.  In  Joshua  46,  7 the  Israelites  are  likewise  told  to 
recount,  when  their  children  in  later  generations  inquire  the  meaning  of 
the  heap  of  twelve  memorial  stones  beside  the  Jordan,,  the  story  of  the 
miraculous  crossing  of  the  river.  It  requires  little  imagination  to  con- 
ceive how  similar  traditions  were  perpetuated  among  a people  who  de- 
pended upon  the  memory  rather  than  upon  literary  writings. 

In  the  process  of  transmission  these  stories  were  constantly  being 
recast  and  supplemented,  for  they  were  being  told  in  an  age  and  by  a 
race,  which,  true  to  its  oriental  instincts,  possessed  a fertile  imagination, 
but  was  not  regardful  of  exact  details.  The  essential  and  dra- 
matic elements,  impressing  themselves  upon  the  memory,  were  retained. 
Technical  details  and  all  that  was  unnecessary  were  soon  forgotten. 
This  fact  largely  explains  their  picturesqueness  and  striking  literary 
form.  They  each  tell  their  tale  clearly  and  dramatically,  but  usually 
in  the  fewest  possible  words.  The  brevity  of  many  of  them  is  a 

13 


Method 
of  trans- 
mission 


Effects 
of  trans- 
mission 
upon  the 
literary 
form : 
absence 
of  tech- 
nical 
details 


Few 

charac- 

ters 


Only  a 
few 

striking 

charac- 

teristics 

pre- 

sented 


Charac- 
ters 
treated 
as  types 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 

marked  characteristic.  Some  of  them  are  condensed  into  five  or  six 
verses,  where  a modern  historian,  or  even  a later  Hebrew  writer,  would 
have  required  almost  as  many  chapters  (cf.,  e.  g.,  the  account  of  Ab- 
salom’s rebellion).  In  the  account  of  the  tower  of  Babel  we  ask  in 
vain  a score  of  questions  which  are  left  unanswered.  The  same  is  true 
of  the  majority  of  the  traditions  in  the  first  eight  books  of  the  Old 
Testament,  and  yet  from  the  point  of  view  of  a popular  story  no  essen- 
tial is  omitted.  Because  of  the  absence  of  cumbersome  details,  all 
attention  is  focused  on  the  main  themes.  Where,  as  in  the  suit  for 
Rebekah,  § 24,  or  in  some  of  the  Joseph  stories,  discursiveness  takes 
the  place  of  brevity,  it  is  evident  that  a later  tendency  to  expand  and 
embellish  has  been  at  work. 

The  same  effective  economy  and  simplicity  are  usually  observed  in 
the  introduction  of  characters.  The  actors  are  always  few.  For  ex- 
ample, in  the  drama  enacted  in  the  garden  of  Eden  there  are  but  four: 
Jehovah,  the  man,  the  woman,  and  the  serpent;  in  the  oldest  stories  of 
the  Egyptian  plagues  two,  Moses  and  Pharaoh.  Attention  is  also  con- 
stantly fixed  upon  the  chief  characters.  Subordinate  personages  are 
introduced  only  when  required  to  bring  out  the  action,  and  then  they 
are  often  dismissed  without  further  notice.  Little  attempt  is  made  to 
characterize  them. 

Even  in  the  case  of  the  chief  personages  only  the  most  striking 
characteristics  are  portrayed.  This  is  done  not  abstractly,  but,  as  in 
actual  experience,  by  means  of  scenes  in  which  the  actors  reveal  their 
personality  by  their  deeds  or  words.  Their  one  or  two  dominant  traits 
are  thus  vividly  set  forth.  If  the  hero  be  prominent,  his  various  quali- 
ties are  brought  out  in  different  stories.  Thus  the  tradition  of  Abra- 
ham’s separation  from  Lot,  § 15,  simply  illustrates  the  patriarch’s 
generosity,  and  that  of  the  sacrifice  of  Isaac,  § 23,  his  absolute  devo- 
tion to  Jehovah. 

The  different  personages  also  figure  as  the  superlative  embodiments 
of  their  chief  characteristic.  Cain  is  the  defiant  murderer;  Noah  and 
Abraham  are  the  Hebrew  models  of  piety  and  obedience;  Jacob 
is  the  worthy  ancestor  of  a race,  which  combined  in  a most  aston- 
ishing manner  energy  and  shrewdness  in  attaining  material  pos- 
sessions with  exalted  religious  aspirations;  Joseph  is  the  upright, 
successful  man  of  affairs,  and  Pharaoh  the  typical  oriental  despot. 
Minor  characters,  like  Rachel,  the  favorite,  and  Leah,  the  despised  wife, 
are  the  representatives  of  the  less  prominent  members  of  that  ancient 
society.  Practically  every  type  of  individual  and  every  phase  of 
human  character  known  to  the  early  Hebrew  world  are  represented  in 
the  Old  Testament  traditions.  It  is  evident  that  they  sprang  from  the 
soil  of  common  experience  and  that  their  roots  are  embedded  in  reality. 
The  fact  that  many  of  the  actors  who  figure  in  the  earlier  stories,  like 
the  man  and  the  woman  in  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis,  must  be  re- 
garded as  types  rather  than  as  ordinary  human  beings,  simply  gives 
them  a universal  interest.  Even  though  the  hero  be  an  historical  charac- 

14 


THEIR  CRYSTALLIZATION  INTO  LITERATURE 


ter,  the  tendency  to  magnify  his  more  prominent  characteristics  and 
ignore  all  others  is  irresistible.  The  result  was  a great  gain  rather  than 
a loss.  It  was  because  they  segregated,  magnified,  and  presented  in 
concrete  form  certain  universal  human  traits,  that  these  ancient  tradi- 
tions lent  themselves  so  readily  to  the  purposes  of  Israel’s  later  teachers. 

The  Old  Testament  writers  always  appreciated  the  value  of  contrast. 
This  element  is  especially  prominent  in  these  traditions.  Jehovah’s 
unstinted  provision  for  the  man  and  woman  in  the  garden  is  the  back- 
ground of  their  disobedience  and  condemnation  to  toil  and  pain.  The 
command  to  slay  Isaac  has  for  its  preface  the  glorious  promises  assured 
to  Abraham  through  his  descendants.  Joseph,  the  slave  in  prison,  sold 
by  his  kinsmen,  is  the  antithesis  of  the  man  raised  to  a position  second 
only  to  Pharaoh  himself.  Moses,  the  outlaw  leader  of  a disorganized 
body  of  serfs,  stands  opposed  to  the  despotic  king  of  Egypt. 

The  chief  charm  of  these  stories  for  their  ancient,  as  well  as  their 
modern  hearers,  lies  in  the  fact  that  they  are  full  of  dramatic  action. 
As  has  already  been  noted,  the  traits  and  feelings  of  the  different 
heroes  are  usually  indicated  by  their  acts  or  conversations.  The  story- 
teller does  not  need  to  describe  Abraham  as  a pious  man ; the  patriarch’s 
acts  and  the  words  of  Jehovah  himself  establish  the  fact.  Joseph’s 
meeting  with  his  brothers  is  full  of  genuine  pathos,  but  the  feeling  of 
those  present  is  simply  suggested  by  the  action.  Even  such  a sub- 
jective experience  as  temptation  is  represented  by  a dialogue  between 
the  woman  and  the  serpent.  Thus,  the  attention  of  the  hearer  is 
always  fixed  on  some  objective  action,  to  which  all  else  is  subordi 
nated;  just  enough  is  suggested  to  keep  the  imagination  alert;  there 
are  few  asides;  everything  moves  on  rapidly  toward  the  culmination  on 
which  all  interest  is  centred.  If  a modern  analogy  were  to  be  sought, 
it  would  be  found  in  the  historical  novel. 

Each  complete  tradition  is  in  itself  a miniature  drama  in  which  dif- 
ferent scenes  succeed  each  other  in  rapid  succession  and  in  close  logical 
sequence,  making  the  literary  analysis  exceedingly  clear  and  simple. 
Thus  the  drama  of  creation  contains  seven  scenes,  representing  the 
work  of  each  of  the  six  days  with  the  impressive  pause  on  the  seventh. 
The  account  of  securing  a wife  for  Isaac,  § 24,  also  includes  seven  dis- 
tinct scenes,  which  present  in  logical  succession : ( 1 ) Abraham  receiving 
news  regarding  the  family  of  his  brother  Nahor,  the  Aramean;  (2)  his 
solemn  instructions  to  his  trusty  servant;  (3)  the  servant’s  journey  and 
arrival  at  a well  in  Aram-Naharaim ; (4)  his  meeting  and  conversation 
with  Rebekah;  (5)  his  reception  at  her  home;  (6)  his  return  with 
Rebekah;  (7)  their  meeting  with  Isaac.  That  this  dramatic  method  of 
telling  a story  is  very  old,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  ancient  song  of 
Deborah  likewise  consists  of  a succession  of  scenes  or  pictures,  which 
vividly  present  the  essential  elements  of  the  narrative.  The  same  liter- 
ary structure  is  also  discernible  in  the  oldest  Babylonian  epics  (Ap- 
pendices IV.-V.). 

This  common  characteristic  is  but  one  of  the  many  indications  that 

15 


Abound- 
ing in 
striking 
con- 
trasts 


Full  of 
dramat- 
ic action 
and  dia- 
logue 


Close 
unity  of 
the 
parts 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Origi- 
nally 
current 
in  poet- 
ical 
form 


Israel’s 

early 

poetical 

litera- 

ture 


the  oldest  traditions  were  probably  once  current  in  poetical  form.  This 
was  to  be  anticipated  on  a priori  grounds,  for  poetry  is  universally  the 
earliest  form  of  literary  expression.  To  this  rule  the  Hebrews  were  no 
exception,  as  is  attested  by  the  so-called  “Blessing  of  Jacob”  in 
Genesis  49,  and  the  “Song  of  Deborah”  in  Judges  5,  and  by  a number 
of  ancient  poems  scattered  through  the  first  seven  books  of  the  Old 
Testament.  The  manner  in  which  these  are  introduced  into  the  prose 
narratives  indicates  that  they  usually  represent  the  older  originals  from 
which  the  later  story-tellers  and  historians  drew  much,  and  in  some 
cases  all,  of  their  data.  Thus  in  the  story  of  Lamech,  § 4,  the  detailed 
facts  presented  in  verse19  are  all  found  in  the  poetical  fragment  quoted 
in23,  24.  Similarly,  the  little  that  is  known  regarding  the  Israelitish 
victories  over  Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites,  is  apparently  derived  from 
the  ancient  poem,  fragments  of  which  are  preserved  in  Numbers  21. 

In  connection  witli  one  of  these  quotations  (vs.14)  the  name  of  the 
source  from  which  it  is  taken  is  given,  “The  Book  of  the  Wars  of  Jeho- 
vah.” The  title  suggests  the  contents  of  this  primitive  collection  of  na- 
tional songs,  recounting  Israel’s  victories  in  the  name  of  Jehovah.  Else- 
where references  with  quotations  are  found  (Josh.  1012'14,  II  Sam.  I17'27) 
to  a similar  poetic  collection  called  “The  Book  of  the  Righteous  One” 
( i . e.,  Israel).  The  fragments,  which  are  quoted,  incidentally  reveal  the 
variety  and  extent  of  Israel’s  early  heritage  of  song  and  ballad,  which 
lies  back  of  the  prose  traditions.  It  is  also  significant  that  usually  in 
the  oldest  traditions,  when  the  chief  characters  speak,  their  words  are 
in  poetry.  Thus  in  the  story  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  § 2,  the  man’s 
address  to  his  wife  and  Jehovah’s  words  of  condemnation  have  the 
balanced  parallelism  and  similarly  recurring  accents,  which  characterize 
all  other  Semitic,  as  well  as  Hebrew,  poetry  (cf.  Introd.  vol.  V.).  The 
same  phenomenon  repeats  itself  frequently  throughout  Genesis,  and  is 
indicated  typographically  in  the  translation.  Many  of  these  poetic 
passages,  like  46,  7,  9 25"27,  2523,  27 27‘29,  34'40,  492'27,  are  ancient  oracles,  pre- 
cursors of  the  apocalyptic  vision  of  later  times  (cf.  Introd.,  vol.  III.). 
Conclusive  evidence  that  at  least  certain  of  Israel’s  traditions  were  orig- 
inally in  epic  form  is  furnished  by  the  older  Babylonian  versions  of  the 
creation  and  flood  stories  which  are  characterized  by  a highly  developed 
poetical  structure  (Appendices  III. -IV.).  The  fourth  and  fifth  chap- 
ters of  Judges,  which  contain  two  complete,  parallel  accounts  of  the 
great  victory  of  the  Hebrews  over  the  Canaanites  of  central  Palestine, 
ofl’er  a good  illustration  of  the  history  of  many  Israelitish  traditions: 
the  poetical  version  in  the  fifth  chapter  is  readily  recognized  as  the 
older,  while  the  fourth  chapter  embodies  the  later  prose  parallel,  § 139- 
The  recognition  that  the  literary  form  of  many  of  the  Old  Testament 
traditions  was  originally  poetical  is  important  for  their  intelligent  in- 
terpretation and  appreciation.  Although  their  final  garb  is  plain 
prose,  they  have  retained  much  of  their  original  elegiac  and  epic  beauty. 
Like  all  true  poetry,  they  aim  not  only  to  reflect  facts,  but  also  to 
entertain,  to  instruct,  and  to  inspire  noble  thoughts  and  acts. 

16 


THEIR  CRYSTALLIZATION  INTO  LITERATURE 


Contrary  to  the  position  sometimes  maintained,  it  seems  probable  Early  f 
that  most  of  the  stories  found  in  the  first  eight  books  of  the  Old  Testa-  thftra- 
ment  originated  before  or  during  the  age  of  song  and  story  (c.  1250-  ° * 

1050  b.c.).  While  in  the  plastic  oral  stage  they  also  appear  to  have 
assumed  their  present  outlines.  This  conclusion  is  not  only  supported 
by  analogies,  but  also  by  the  character  of  the  traditions  themselves. 

Like  watermarks,  they  contain  within  themselves  the  history  of  their 
origin.  Many  of  the  striking  variations  between  the  different  versions 
of  the  same  tradition  could  only  have  arisen  while  they  were  in  the 
oral  stage. 

To  the  same  period  probably  belongs  the  association  together  of  Growth 
certain  originally  independent  traditions.  Many  of  the  individual  sto-  oftracu- 
ries  themselves  deal  with  several  distinct  themes  and  contain  diverse 
elements.  Perhaps  the  best  illustration  of  this  is  the  story  of  the  tower 
of  Babel.  It  is  concerned  with  answering  the  three  very  different 
questions,  “Why  are  there  various  languages  and  races?’’  and  “What 
was  the  origin  of  the  huge,  seemingly  incomplete  mound  which  in  or 
near  Babylon  rose  abruptly  from  the  level  plain?”  and,  finally,  “What 
is  the  derivation  of  the  name  Babylon?”  Into  the  story  two  originally 
distinct  traditions  seem  to  have  been  woven:  one  which  told  of  the 
building  of  a city  (Babylon)  with  the  aim  of  gaining  renown  thereby, 
and  another  which  described  the  rearing  of  a huge  tower  with  its  top 
in  the  sky.  From  Hebrew  and  other  primitive  literatures  might  be 
cited  many  examples  of  the  natural  tendency  to  combine  distinct  stories, 
because  they  have  certain  points  in  common.  Thus  naturally  arose  the 
earliest  cycles  of  tradition  found  in  the  Old  Testament.  The  uniting 
bond  at  first  may  have  been  that  they  were  associated  witli  the  same 
sanctuary.  Thus,  for  example,  the  Abraham  and  Lot  stories  centre 
about  Hebron,  where  they  were  originally  treasured;  or  oftener  they 
are  joined  together  because  they  relate  to  the  same  leading  character 
or  characters.  In  this  way  apparently  arose  the  original  groups  of 
Abraham,  Jacob,  Joseph,  Gideon,  Jephthah,  and  Samson  stories. 

It  is  probable,  also,  that  in  the  age  of  song  and  story  the  more  impor-  Union 
tant  cycles  of  patriarchal  stories  were  brought  into  conjunction  with  patri- 
each  other  and  the  relationships  between  Abraham,  Lot,  Isaac,  Jacob,  stones 
and  Joseph  traced.  When  the  different  Hebrew  tribes  began  to  recog- 
nize the  common  bond  of  blood  and  religion  and  to  unite — a process 
which  was  not  complete  until  the  days  of  David — the  amalgamation 
of  their  various  traditions  doubtless  proceeded  rapidly. 

The  most  important  work  of  the  succeeding  period,  which  may  be  Literary 
designated  as  the  creative  age  of  prophetic  narration  (cf.  Chart,  during7 
frontispiece),  beginning  with  the  establishment  of  the  Hebrew  king-  of  pro-6 
dom,  about  1050,  and  continuing  until  about  750  b.c.,  when  Amos  and  Karra6 
Hosea,  by  their  preaching,  inaugurated  a new  epoch  in  the  literary  and  tlon 
religious  life  of  the  Hebrews,  was  to  collect  and  put  into  permanent 
written  form  the  great  body  of  narratives  which  recorded  the  past  ex- 
periences and  thought  of  the  race.  The  age  was  also  filled  with  stirring 

17 


Influ- 
ences 
which 
led  to 
the  crys- 
talliza- 
tion of 
tradi- 
tion 
into  lit- 
erature 


Intro- 
duction 
of  writ- 
ing 


Favor- 
able po- 
litical 
condi- 
tions 


Recogni- 
tion of 
the  need 
of  his- 
torical 
records 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 

deeds  which  commanded  the  attention  of  these  writers,  so  that  their  first 
task  was  to  record  the  events  which  stood  nearest  to  them  in  point  of 
time. 

The  conditions  and  influences  which  led  certain  Israelitish  writers  to 
transcribe  the  popular  traditions  of  their  race  can  be  traced  in  the  light 
of  history  and  the  testimony  of  the  traditions  themselves.  As  long  as 
the  different  tribes  lived  their  life  apart,  as  they  did  until  the  end  of  the 
so-called  period  of  the  Judges,  they  were  each  able  to  remember  their 
own  traditions ; but  when  they  were  all  united  under  David  the  common 
inheritance  of  ancient  lore  became  too  great  for  the  mind  of  man  to 
retain. 

At  the  same  time  the  Hebrew  system  of  writing,  which  seems  itself 
to  have  been  an  inheritance  through  the  highly  civilized  Canaanites 
and  Phoenicians,  appears  for  the  first  time  to  have  come  into  use. 
Pioneers  struggling  for  homes  have  little  need  or  time  for  literary  pur- 
suits. A stable  government,  certain  progress  in  the  arts  of  civilization, 
and  national  experiences,  which  are  worthy  of  recording,  are  the  neces- 
sary  precursors  of  literature.  These  conditions  were  first  developed 
among  the  Hebrews  after  the  establishment  of  the  monarchy. 

The  days  of  Saul  and  David  were  filled  with  protracted  wars  which 
engrossed  the  attention  of  the  people.  History  was  still  in  the  making. 
The  peaceful  reign  of  Solomon,  when  king  and  people  turned  to  build- 
ing and  development  of  the  arts  therefore,  furnishes  the  earliest  back- 
ground for  the  beginnings  of  a native  Hebrew  literature.  The  recorder 
became  an  important  official  in  the  court,  which  suggests  that  state  annals, 
probably  containing  brief  memoranda  of  the  more  important  events  in 
the  reign,  began  to  be  kept.  These  were  in  all  probability  the  basis 
of  the  later  “Acts  of  Solomon”  and  “The  Chronicles  (lit.  Book  of 
Days ) of  the  Kings  of  Israel  and  Judah,”  to  which  frequent  reference 
is  made  in  Samuel-Kings. 

In  antiquity  the  events  of  one  period  are  usually  first  recorded  by 
the  historian  of  the  next.  While  eye-witnesses  survive,  who  can  bear  per- 
sonal testimony  to  the  facts,  little  need  is  felt  for  a written  history.  In 
the  days  after  the  division  of  the  Hebrew  empire  (about  930  b.c.),  when 
its  glories  were  only  memories  of  the  past,  the  incentives  were  strong  to 
preserve  the  traditions  which  had  already  sprung  up  concerning  them. 
The  products  of  this  activity  are  the  narratives  of  the  wars  and  family 
history  of  Israel’s  first  three  kings,  in  the  book  of  Samuel-Kings. 
Kindred  interests  and  impulses  in  turn  led  the  same  or  later  writers  to 
collect  in  succession  the  traditions  regarding  the  immediately  preceding 
periods.  The  final  limit  was  the  creation  of  the  universe  and  man,  for, 
regarding  this  far-distant  event,  primitive  tradition  spoke  with  assur- 
ance. Thus  all  the  indications  contained  in  Israel’s  history  point  to 
the  century  or  two  beginning  with  about  950  b.c.  as  the  era  when  the 
oral  traditions  of  an  earlier  age  were  collected  and  woven  into  connected 
groups  of  narratives. 

Although  their  individual  names  will  never  be  known,  the  character- 

18 


THEIR  CRYSTALLIZATION  INTO  LITERATURE 


istics  and  aims  of  the  writers  who  gatlxered  the  earliest  groups  of  the 
traditions  can  be  definitely  determined.  They  were  patriots  interested 
in  the  past  experiences  of  their  race;  but  they  were  more  than  his- 
torians, they  were  prophets  who  looked  backward,  that  they  might  find 
there  truths  and  illustrations  which  would  be  helpful  in  moulding  the 
life  and  thoughts  of  the  present  and  future.  This  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  from  an  historical  point  of  view  their  narratives  are  not  propor- 
tionate. Political  events  of  far-reaching  national  importance  are  ig- 
nored or  passed  over  with  only  a brief  notice,  while,  for  example,  the 
account  of  Abraham’s  sacrifice  of  Isaac  or  David’s  private  sins  and 
their  consequences,  are  treated  with  great  detail.  Incidentally,  these 
early  prophetic  writers  have  given  us  a vast  amount  of  historical  data, 
and  for  that  reason  they  are  sometimes  called  historians,  but  the  title 
represents  only  a secondary  element  in  their  work.  To  them  the  past 
history  and  floating  traditions  of  their  race  were  simply  a valuable  col- 
lection of  familiar,  effective  illustrations  with  which  to  enforce  upon 
the  minds  of  their  contemporaries  the  significant  religious  truths  which 
it  was  their  mission  to  impart.  Whether  or  not  the  primitive  traditions 
were  in  every  detail  historical  was  of  no  concern  to  them.  In  common 
with  their  uncritical  contemporaries  they  doubtless  considered  them 
to  be  authentic;  and  yet  the  freedom  with  which  they  modified  and 
adapted  them  to  their  purpose  shows  how  little  they  regarded  the  ques- 
tion of  exact  historicity.  They  used  them  very  much  as  the  Great 
Teacher  employed  parables,  and  for  the  same  reasons,  namely,  because 
they  were  simple  and  therefore  intelligible  to  the  most  obtuse,  familiar 
and  therefore  sure  to  kindle  interest,  and,  above  all,  marvellously  fitted 
to  be  a medium  for  imparting  religious  truths. 

Many  popular  traditions  they  undoubtedly  rejected  as  unsuited  to 
their  uses.  Out  of  the  vast  storehouse  of  the  popular  memory  they 
selected  those  which  were  worthy  of  perpetuation.  As  the  stories  come 
from  their  hands,  each  illustrates  its  own  individual  teaching.  Some, 
like  the  narrative  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  present  in  most  concise  form 
the  main  essentials  of  the  prophetic  doctrine.  The  ethical  and  religious 
value  of  others,  as,  for  example,  certain  of  the  Joseph  stories,  is  found 
in  the  fact  that  they  are  constituent  elements  in  a greater  narration. 
Since  Israel’s  history,  as  a whole,  was  a supreme  illustration  of 
Jehovah’s  attitude  toward  the  race  and  of  man’s  duty  to  God,  the  vari- 
ous traditions  were  also  in  time  woven  together  into  continuous  narra- 
tives. 

In  general,  it  is  noticeable  that  in  the  oldest  sections  of  Joshua  and 
Judges,  which  were  probably  the  first  to  be  crystallized  into  literature, 
the  historical  purpose  is  very  prominent,  and  the  religious  far  less  sig- 
nificant. On  the  other  hand,  the  traditions  in  the  preceding  books, 
which  deal  with  earlier  periods,  but  which  were  later  committed  to 
writing,  reveal  at  every  point  the  prophetic  aim  and  teaching,  while 
they  furnish  comparatively  little  historical  data  concerning  the  themes 
which  they  treat.  The  first  explanation,  of  course,  is  that  oral  tradi- 

19 


Aims  of 
the  men 
who 
com- 
mitted 
Israel’s 
tradi- 
tions to 
writing 


Princi- 
ple of  s» 
lection 


Relative 
amount 
of  his- 
torical 
data 


The  real 
value  of 
Old  Tes- 
tament 
tradi- 
tions 


Conclu- 

sion 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 

tion  is  not  skilled  in  retaining  details,  but  is  interested  in  types. 
Hence  the  longer  the  period  of  transmission,  the  less  the  amount  of 
exact  data  and  the  more  striking  the  typical  elements.  But  the  prophets 
were  able  also  more  perfectly  to  adapt  to  their  purpose  the  plastic 
material  of  primitive  tradition.  Moreover,  the  polytheistic  and  im- 
moral elements  in  those  ancient  stories  often  made  a fundamental  re- 
vision and  purification  absolutely  necessary. 

It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that  in  interpreting  and  estimating  the  value 
of  an  Old  Testament  tradition  two  distinct  questions  must  be  consid- 
ered: (1)  “What  was  its  original  form  and  significance?”  and  (2) 
“What  were  the  teachings  which  the  prophetic  or  priestly  writer,  who 
adapted  it  to  his  ends,  was  seeking  thereby  to  enforce?”  The  first  is 
primarily  of  interest  to  the  historian,  the  archaeologist  and  the  student 
of  comparative  religion,  and  by  them  it  must  be  answered;  the  second 
vitally  concerns  all  who  find  in  the  Bible  a message  from  God  through 
man  to  man.  It  is  also  clear  that  the  answer  to  the  second  is  little 
affected  by  the  replies  which  may  be  given  to  the  first.  A modern 
preacher’s  hearers  do  not  stop  to  inquire  what  was  the  genesis  of  the 
stories  which  he  uses  in  illustrating  his  sermon  or  whether  or  not  they 
are  strictly  scientific  or  historical.  If  they  aid  in  making  clear  his 
message  it  suffices.  The  permanent  religious  value  of  the  majority  of 
the  Old  Testament  traditions  is  likewise  entirely  independent  of  their 
origin  or  their  scientific  and  historical  accuracy.  It  depends  upon  the 
use  made  of  it  by  the  inspired  teacher  who  appropriated  it,  and,  there- 
fore, ultimately  upon  the  nature  of  the  God-given  message  he  had  to 
convey. 

In  order  to  study  the  Old  Testament  traditions  intelligently  and 
profitably,  it  is  therefore  important  to  remember  that  they  represent 
the  work  not  of  one  writer  but  of  scores.  Transmitted  through  the 
medium  of  many  different  minds,  they  gradually  assumed  their  present 
unique  form.  The  generations,  which  in  transmitting  have  trans- 
formed them,  have  contributed  fully  as  much  as  the  age  which  produced 
them.  Finally,  to  Israel’s  inspired  teachers  who  committed  them  to 
writing,  adapting  them  to  their  noble  purpose,  they  owe  their  perma- 
nent religious  value  and  authority.  Their  present  literary  form  sug- 
gests their  later  history.  Guided  by  these  indications,  one  of  the  first 
aims  of  modern  biblical  scholarship  is  to  recover  as  far  as  possible  the 
different  groups  of  narratives,  as  they  came  from  the  pens  of  th# 
prophets  and  priests  who  first  wrote  them  down. 


20 


THE  PRESENT  LITERARY  FORM  AND  CONTENTS  OF 
ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 

The  majority  of  Israel’s  early  traditions  are  recorded  in  the  first 
eight  books  of  the  Old  Testament.  Of  these  eight,  all  of  Leviticus, 
most  of  Deuteronomy,  and  nearly  half  of  Exodus  and  Numbers  consist 
of  laws  or  else  of  traditional  precedents,  intended  to  illustrate  the 
origin  or  to  establish  the  authority  of  certain  institutions.  Their  theme 
and  purpose  are  so  different  from  those  of  the  popular  narratives  that 
they  constitute  a distinct  group  by  themselves  (cf.  vol.  IV.).  With  the 
exception  of  certain  national  songs,  like  Genesis  49  and  Deuteronomy 
32  and  33,  practically  all  the  rest  of  the  material  found  in  Genesis  to 
Ruth  inclusive,  consists  of  stories,  most  of  which  were  probably  once 
current  as  oral  traditions. 

These  have  been  grouped  in  the  Old  Testament  according  to  subject- 
matter.  The  order  in  general  is  that  of  the  events  treated.  Leviticus, 
Deuteronomy,  and  Ruth  stand  by  themselves ; but  the  remaining  books, 
Genesis,  Exodus,  Numbers,  Joshua,  and  Judges,  each  represent  dis- 
tinct stages  in  the  evolution  of  the  Israelitish  race  and  together  form  a 
reasonably  complete  and  continuous  record. 

The  book  of  Genesis  constitutes  a most  fitting  introduction  to  the  Old 
Testament.  It  has  been  appropriately  called  the  “Book  of  Origins.” 
The  traditional  origin  of  the  universe,  of  man,  of  sin,  of  murder,  of 
civilization,  of  the  different  nations  and  languages,  of  the  Hebrews,  of 
their  neighbors  in  southwestern  Asia,  and  of  the  primitive  institutions 
and  sanctuaries  of  Canaan  are  its  chief  themes.  The  book  contains  four 
distinct  groups  of  narratives : ( 1 ) traditions  regarding  the  beginnings  of 
human  history,  D-ll9;  (2)  the  Abraham  stories,  ll10-2520;  (3)  the 
Jacob  stories,  2521-36,  38;  (4)  the  Joseph  stories,  37,  39-50. 

The  first,  F-ll9,  includes  certain  universal  traditions  which  serve  as 
an  introduction  to  the  subsequent  narratives.  With  the  possible  excep- 
tion of  the  story  of  Cain  and  Abel,  the  elements  which  enter  into  them 
appear  to  have  been  originally  derived  from  the  cycle  of  primitive  tra- 
ditions inherited  by  the  Israelites  from  their  older  Semitic  ancestors. 
It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  there  is  no  close  unity  between  the 
individual  stories  within  this  group.  It  is  rather  a bundle  of  traditions. 
Chapters  1 and  2 contain  two  variant  accounts  of  the  creation,  4 and  5 
two  distinct  lists  of  the  antediluvians,  and  6-9  two  versions  of  the  flood- 
story  (cf.  § 8).  While  a few  assume  the  facts  presented  in  others,  as 
a rule,  each  individual  narrative  is  complete  in  itself,  and  often  con- 

21 


Position 
of  the 
tradi- 
tions in 
the  Old 
Testa- 
ment 


Present 
princi- 
ple of  ar- 
range- 
ment. 


Literary- 
analysis 
of  Gene- 
sis 


Intro- 
duction, 
tradi- 
tions re- 
garding 
the  be- 
ginnings 
of  hu- 
man his- 
tory 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Struct- 
ure of 
the 
Abra- 
ham 
stories 


Their 

origin 


The 

Isaac 

stories 


Struct- 
ure of 
the 
Jacob 
stories 

Early 

cycles 


tains  statements  which  reveal  a lack  of  acquaintance  with  the  contents 
of  those  which  precede  and  follow  it  in  the  present  context. 

The  second  group,  ll10-2520,  includes  the  various  stories  in  which 
Abraham  (Abram)  figures  as  the  chief  character.  Here  attention  for 
the  first  time  begins  to  be  focused  on  themes  primarily  of  interest  to  the 
Hebrews.  Again,  the  unity  is  the  result  of  arrangement  rather  than 
of  any  innate  relationship  between  the  different  narratives.  Many  in- 
consistencies, due  to  the  distinct  points  of  view  reflected  in  the  indi- 
vidual stories,  are  also  discernible.  Thus,  for  example  in  20,  Sarah  is 
represented  as  a young  and  attractive  woman,  but  in  1 811  it  has  already 
been  stated  that  she  was  “old  and  advanced  in  years.”  A close  ex- 
amination discloses  at  least  nine  examples  of  duplicate  versions. 
Thus,  for  example,  chapter  17  contains  a variant  account  of  the  divine 
promise  and  covenant  with  Abraham,  which  is  already  recorded  in  15. 
Chapters  16  and  21  each  have  their  own  account  of  the  departure  of 
Hagar. 

While  each  of  the  traditions  was  probably  once  current  in  independ- 
ent form,  there  are  indications  that  they  were  grouped  together  in 
cycles  before  they  were  committed  to  writing.  In  one  of  these  cycles 
Abraham  and  Lot  figure,  and  the  geographical  background  is  south- 
eastern Canaan ; in  another  Abram  and  Ishmael  or  Abraham  and 
Abimelech,  and  the  background  is  the  territory  to  the  south  of  Pales- 
tine; and  in  still  another  Abraham  and  Isaac.  Hebron  appears  to  have 
been  the  common  sanctuary  to  which  Moabites,  Ammonites,  Ishmael- 
ites,  Hagarites,  as  well  as  Canaanites,  resorted,  bringing  their  tribal 
traditions,  which  became  in  time  the  property  of  the  ancient  shrine. 
Later,  together  with  the  soil  and  institutions  of  Canaan,  they  passed 
into  the  possession  of  the  Hebrews,  in  whose  keeping  they  remained 
until  they  were  utilized  by  the  prophetic  and  priestly  historians. 

The  third  group,  2521-3643,  38,  contains  the  stories  which  centre 
about  Jacob-Israel.  The  traditions  regarding  Isaac  are  few  in  num- 
ber; the  two  important  ones  are  but  variants  of  those  associated  with 
Abraham,  §§  13,  14,  and  the  others  are  closely  attached  as  mere 
episodes  in  the  Abraham  and  Jacob  narratives.  The  character  of  Isaac 
is  dimly  sketched.  The  stories  concerning  him  are  localized  at  Beer- 
sheba,  indicating  that  he  was  probably  the  local  hero  or  deity  of  the 
nomadic  tribes  which  frequented  this  southern  shrine.  In  the  few 
traditions  which  survive,  Isaac  is  simply  a connecting  link  between  the 
Abraham  and  Jacob  stories. 

The  latter  have  been  very  closely  welded  together.  Ten  or  more 
duplicates  have  been  discovered,  but  they  are  amalgamated  so  perfectly 
that  the  analysis  is  often  difficult  and  the  results  unsatisfactory. 

Certain  lines  of  cleavage  suggest  the  older  cycles  of  tradition  which 
were  thus  united.  Four  may  be  distinguished.  The  largest  collection 
includes  the  Jacob-Esau  stories.  Into  the  middle  of  these  has  been 
introduced  the  Jacob-Laban  cycle.  Both  are  enriched  by  a collection 
of  traditions,  originally  treasured  at  the  sanctuaries  which,  like  Bethel, 

22 


THEIR  PRESENT  LITERARY  FORM  AND  CONTENTS 


Penuel,  and  Mahanaim,  claimed  Jacob  as  their  hero.  The  fourth 
cycle  includes  the  local  traditions  of  certain  tribes  which  traced  their 
descent  from  Jaeob-Israel.  Their  connection  with  the  other  stories  is 
very  loose.  In  the  tradition  of  Judah  and  Tamar  in  38,  for  example, 
there  is  no  reference  to  Jacob,  and,  as  far  as  its  contents  and  connec- 
tion with  the  context  is  concerned,  it  might  be  transferred  to  the  book 
of  Judges  and  joined  to  the  primitive  tribal  records  found  in  the  first 
chapter. 

The  character  and  contents  of  these  early  cycles  indicate  that  the 
Jacob  traditions  were  originally  drawn  from  a great  variety  of  sources, 
most  of  which  were  very  ancient.  Although  adapted  by  the  Hebrews 
so  as  to  reflect  their  own  relations  with  the  Edomites,  the  Jacob-Esau 
stories  in  their  original  outlines  appear  to  be  pre-Israelitish.  The 
same  is  probably  true  of  the  nucleus  of  the  Jacob-Laban  collection, 
although  their  form  was  modified  in  the  light  of  the  later  relations  be- 
tween the  Hebrews  and  the  Arameans.'  In  common  with  most  of  the 
shrine-stories,  the  third  cycle  may  be  assigned  to  a very  early  period. 
The  fourth  collection,  which  is  concerned  with  the  relations  between  the 
Hebrew  tribes  and  their  Canaanite  neighbors,  may  well  have  originated 
among  the  Israelites  themselves. 

In  the  fourth  and  last  group  of  stories  in  Genesis,  37,  39-50,  Joseph 
is  the  chief  figure.  As  a whole,  they  are  far  more  closely  knit  together 
than  those  in  the  other  divisions  of  the  book.  Interest  is  constantly 
concentrated  upon  the  varied  fortunes  of  one  individual.  Succeeding 
narratives  assume  the  facts  presented  in  the  preceding.  Few  of  the 
stories  are  entirely  complete  in  themselves.  Variant  versions  of  the 
same  traditions  are  not  prominently  in  evidence;  but  on  closer  examina- 
tion at  least  nine  distinct  duplicates  appear  and  traces  of  others  are 
discernible. 

The  atmosphere  and  setting  are  Egyptian.  The  story  of  Joseph’s 
temptation  embodies  elements  found  in  the  old  Egyptian  tale  of  the 
“Two  Brothers”  (cf.  Appendix  VIII.).  Other  individual  stories  may 
have  been  suggested  by  Egyptian  and  earlier  Semitic  models,  but  the 
point  of  view  throughout  and  the  character  of  Joseph  himself  are  dis- 
tinctly Hebrew. 

The  book  of  Exodus  introduces  a new  type  of  narrative.  Instead  of 
tribal  traditions  in  the  form  of  personal  biographies  and  family  chroni- 
cles, it  records  the  experiences  of  an  incipient  nation.  Interest  still 
centres  about  an  individual  (Moses),  who  stands  as  the  representative 
of  the  period;  but  henceforth  it  is  the  unfolding  life  of  the  Hebrew 
people  which  gives  unity  to  the  different  stories.  As  a result,  the  nar- 
rative becomes  more  connected  and  the  traditions  more  homogeneous. 
They  are  also,  for  the  most  part,  of  native  rather  than  of  foreign 
origin.  Duplicate  versions  of  the  same  incidents  are  common.  Of  the 
more  important  events  there  are  usually  three  distinct  accounts,  which 
agree  in  general,  but  differ  decidedly  in  details  and  point  of  view. 

Exodus  consists  of  eight  groups  of  narratives,  which  relate  to:  (1) 

23 


Origin 


The 

Joseph 

stories 


Origin 


Genera] 
charac- 
teristics 
of  Ex- 
odus 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Literary 

analysis 


Nature 
of  the 
contents 


Relation 
of  Num- 
bers to 
the  rest 
of  the 
Penta- 
teuch 


Literary 

analysis 


Charac- 
ter of 
the  con- 
tents 


the  bondage  of  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt  and  the  rise  of  the  deliverer 
Moses,  l1-?7;  (2)  the  plagues  and  wonders,  78-1236;  (3)  the  exodus, 
1237-1521;  (4)  the  journey  from  the  Red  Sea  to  Sinai,  1 522-l  8 ; (5)  the 
covenant  and  giving  of  the  law  at  Sinai,  19-24;  (6)  directions  regarding 
the  construction  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  consecration  of  priests, 
25-31 ; (7)  the  apostasy  of  the  people  and  renewal  of  the  broken  tables 
of  the  law,  32-34;  (8)  the  making  of  the  tabernacle  and  the  visible  en- 
trance of  Jehovah’s  glory,  35-40. 

In  the  first  half  of  the  book  the  interest  is  in  the  history  of  the  Israel- 
ites, but  in  the  second  half  it  is  fixed  upon  their  laws  and  institutions, 
and  the  historical  narratives  are  introduced  simply  to  furnish  a setting 
for  the  legal  material.  Transitions  are  often  abrupt,  and  there  is  very 
little  connection  between  the  different  groups  of  traditions,  especially 
in  the  second  part  of  the  book.  Some  reflect  the  point  of  view  and  aims 
of  the  patriotic  prophet;  while  others  reveal  the  very  different  interests 
of  the  priest  and  the  legalist. 

In  connection  with  the  divine  revelation  at  Sinai,  recorded  in  Ex.  19, 
20,  are  placed  the  great  body  of  Israel’s  laws,  found  in  Exodus,  Leviti- 
cus, and  Numbers.  Leviticus  contains  no  narrative  material;  but  Num- 
bers, like  Exodus,  consists  of  mingled  laws  and  traditions.  The  laws 
and  precedents  in  Numbers  L-IO10  are  the  natural  continuation  of  the 
legal  material  in  Exodus  35-40  and  Leviticus;  while  the  rest  of  the  book 
is  the  immediate  sequel  to  Jehovah’s  promise  to  lead  his  people,  recorded 
in  Exodus  33. 

In  its  present  arrangement  the  book  of  Numbers  falls  into  four 
divisions:  (l)  L-IO10,  the  census,  arrangement  of  the  camp,  and  certain 
laws  and  regulations  given  at  Sinai;  (2)  10u-2013,  events  and  laws 
associated  with  Kadesh,  and  the  adjacent  wilderness;  (3)  2014-2722, 
events,  connected  with  the  march  from  Kadesh  and  the  conquest  of  the 
east- Jordan  territory,  and  the  appointment  of  Joshua  as  Moses’s  suc- 
cessor; (4)  28-36,  laws  and  regulations  promulgated  on  the  plains  of 
Moab.  The  plan  of  arrangement  is  therefore  primarily  geographical 
— incidents  and  institutions  associated  by  tradition  with  the  same 
locality  being  loosely  joined  together. 

The  groups  of  laws  in  Numbers  stand  by  themselves.  The  individual 
traditions  reflect  different  purposes  and  points  of  view.  Three  accounts 
of  the  more  important  events,  like  the  sending  out  of  the  spies,  or  the 
smiting  of  the  rock  at  Meribali,  can  readily  be  distinguished.  The 
book  represents  a period  of  approximately  forty  years  (cf.  I1,  1011, 
333S).  The  events  centre  about  Sinai,  the  arrival  at  Kadesh,  and  the 
journey  to  the  east- Jordan.  There  is  little  concerning  the  traditional 
forty  years  of  wandering.  The  connection  between  the  different  nar- 
ratives is  not  close.  The  book  contains  rather  a collection  of  individual 
scenes  in  the  life  of  the  Hebrew  people,  selected  to  conserve  either  a 
religious  or  a legal  purpose. 

The  immediate  sequel  to  the  announcement  of  Moses’s  death  and  the 
appointment  of  Joshua  as  his  successor  in  Numbers  2712'23  is  the  account 

24 


THEIR  PRESENT  LITERARY  FORM  AND  CONTENTS 


of  the  death  of  the  great  leader  in  Deuteronomy  34.  The  closing  scene 
of  Moses’s  life  furnishes  the  setting  of  a large  body  of  laws  (Num. 
28-36  and  Dt.  5-26,  28).  The  legal  code  of  Deuteronomy  is  prefaced 
by  two  condensed  retrospects,  placed  in  the  mouth  of  Moses:  the  one, 
l6-  329,  covering  the  period  from  the  departure  of  the  Hebrews  from 
Horeb  to  their  arrival  in  Moab,  and  the  other,  98-10n,  the  apostasy  at 
Sinai  and  the  incidents  immediately  following  (Ex.  32-31).  These 
simply  reproduce  the  facts  already  presented  in  the  prophetic  narra- 
tives of  Exodus  and  Numbers.  Sometimes  entire  verses  are  transcribed 
word  for  word.  While  the  resumes  of  the  wilderness  history  add  prac- 
tically no  new  data,  they  are  exceedingly  valuable  in  determining  the 
original  order  of  the  events. 

Although  the  book  of  Joshua  is  placed  in  the  Jewish  canon,  not  under 
The  Law,  but  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  collection,  The  Prophets, 
it  is  not  an  appendix,  but  rather  the  sequel,  to  the  books  which  precede. 
The  different  threads  of  narrative,  which  run  through  them,  all  re- 
appear. 

Originally  it  constituted  one  of  the  sections  of  that  extended  history, 
which  began  with  the  creation  and  ended  with  the  capture  of  Jerusalem 
by  the  Babylonians  (Gen. — II.  Kgs.).  It  was  probably  classified  under 
The  Prophets  because,  with  a few  exceptions  (e.  g.,  203'6),  it  contains 
no  laws,  and,  above  all,  because,  unlike  the  first  five  books,  it  was  not 
associated  by  the  later  Jews,  who  made  the  different  collections,  with 
the  authoritative  name  of  Moses.  Its  classification  under  The 
Prophets  is  in  general  felicitous,  for,  although  it  contains  no  oral 
prophecies  except  the  addresses  in  the  mouth  of  Joshua,  it  consists  for 
the  most  part  of  stories,  drawn  from  Israel’s  traditions  to  illustrate 
and  enforce  vital  prophetic  teachings. 

Its  theme  is  the  conquest  and  establishment  of  the  Hebrews  in 
Canaan,  and  its  title,  like  that  of  many  of  the  historical  books,,  is  the 
name  of  the  chief  figure  and  representative  of  the  epoch  and  movement 
which  it  records. 

Its  plan  of  arrangement  is  partially  chronological  and  partially  ac- 
cording to  theme.  It  includes:  (1)  traditions  regarding  the  conquest, 
1-12;  (2)  accounts  of  the  distribution  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  13-22; 
(3)  Joshua’s  farewell  addresses,  23,  24.  It  shows  at  every  point  the 
marks  of  careful  editorship.  It  opens  with  a general  introduction 
(chap.  1),  and  contains  several  editorial  summaries  (e.  g.,  12). 

The  first  group  of  traditions,  1-12,  traces  the  fortunes  of  the  Israel- 
ites from  the  time  they  left  the  east- Jordan  until  they  were  masters  of 
Canaan.  Minor  inconsistencies  and  differences  in  literary  style  point 
to  earlier  duplicate  versions  of  the  same  incidents ; but  the  history,  as  a 
whole,  moves  on  logically  without  serious  breaks,  each  succeeding  narra- 
tive leading  up  to  the  others,  until  all  of  Israel’s  foes  are  vanquished. 
In  conclusion,  there  is  a long  detailed  list  of  the  kings  conquered,  each 
entered  in  successive  lines  with  the  total  at  the  bottom,  as  in  an  account 
book,  12  (cf.  § 1 1 6,  note).  The  statements  which  figure  so  prominently 

25 


Narra- 
tive por- 
tions of 
Deuter- 
onomy 


Place  of 
Joshua 
in  the 
Bible 


Why 
classi- 
fied as 
pro- 
phetic 


Theme 


Literary 

analysis 


Joshua 

1-12 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Joshua 

13-22 


Joshua 
23,  24 


General 

charac- 

teristics 

of 

Judges 


Literary 

analysis 


Judges 

l»-36 


in  Judges  1,  that  most  of  the  cities  of  Canaan  remained  in  the  possession 
of  the  Canaanites,  find  no  place  in  this  carefully  harmonized  division 
of  the  book. 

The  second  group  describes  the  territory  assigned  and  occupied  by 
the  different  tribes.  Certain  passages  (e.  g.,  131'13)  contain  statements 
that  not  all  the  land  of  Canaan  was  conquered ; but  the  rest  assume  that 
the  only  problem  remaining  was  its  equable  division.  Duplicate  and 
variant  accounts  of  the  assignment  of  territory  are  also  found.  Chap- 
ters 23  and  24  contain  two  very  different  versions  of  Joshua’s  farewell 
address,  the  one  hortatory,  the  other  an  exalted  and  instructive  review 
of  the  past  experiences  of  the  nation.  Their  relationship  to  the  sim- 
ilar addresses,  attributed  to  Moses  in  Deuteronomy,  and  to  the  sermons 
of  an  Amos  or  Jeremiah  is  very  close. 

The  opening  words  of  Judges,  Now  it  came  to  pass  after  the  death  of 
Joshua,  were  probably  intended  by  the  one  who  wrote  them  to  convey 
the  impression  that  the  book  was  the  sequel  to  Joshua;  but  its  contents 
demonstrate  that  many  of  the  incidents  which  it  records  were  contem- 
porary. In  the  first  chapter,  for  example,  is  found  a brief  primitive 
account  of  the  invasion  of  Canaan  by  the  different  tribes.  Several 
verses  are  identical  with  the  corresponding  accounts  of  the  conquest  in 
Joshua  (ef.,  e.  g.,  Judg.  l20b'  10b'15  and  Josh.  1514'19;  Judg.  I21  and  Josh- 
1563).  The  rest  of  the  book  is  devoted  to  a description  of  the  victories 
by  which  the  individual  tribes  gained  and  maintained  their  local  su- 
premacy. Parallel  accounts  of  the  same  events  are  often  found. 
While  the  different  stories  are  loosely  fitted  into  a chronological  frame- 
work, it  becomes  evident  on  examination  that  they  are  neither  continuous 
nor  closely  connected.  They  rather  contain  flash-light  pictures  of  the 
more  important  actors  and  events  in  that  stirring  period  when  the 
Hebrews  were  not  only  securing  homes  in  Canaan,  but  also  gaining 
valuable  experiences  which  were  absolutely  necessary  before  they  could 
crystallize  into  a nation.  Later  generations  styled  the  popular  leaders 
judges  (cf.  § 135),  and  consequently  the  period  and  book  are  called 
that  of  the  Judges.  The  period  of  conquest  and  settlement  is  a more 
exact  title.  The  epoch  corresponded  in  many  ways  to  the  colonial 
period  in  American  history. 

The  book  of  Judges  consists  of  three  unequal  groups  of  narratives: 
(l)  a brief  account  of  the  conquests  and  location  of  the  different  tribes, 
l1-25;  (2)  stories  regarding  the  Hebrew  deliverers  and  the  gradual 
establishment  and  consolidation  of  the  tribes,  26-l631;  (3)  an  appendix, 
containing  the  account  of  the  migration  of  the  Danites  and  establish- 
ment of  their  sanctuary,  and  the  crime  of  the  Gibeathites  and  its  pun- 
ishment, 17-21.  The  book  at  once  suggests  careful  and  repeated  edit- 
ing. In  a sense,  it  is  complete  and  stands  apart  by  itself. 

Instead  of  merely  continuing  the  narratives  of  Joshua  and  the  Penta- 
teuch, lx-25  presents  a summary  of  the  events  following  the  crossing  of 
the  Jordan  until  the  tribes  had  gained  a foothold  in  the  territory  which 
each  later  possessed.  This  is  followed  in  26-36  by  a detailed  introduc- 

26 


THEIR  PRESENT  LITERARY  FORM  AND  CONTENTS 


tion  to  the  second  group  of  stories  which  constitutes  the  real  book  of 
Judges,  37-l631. 

In  211'19  are  formulated  the  lessons  which  the  editor,  who  combined 
the  stories,  drew  from  them.  They  are  that,  when  the  Israelites  were 
unfaithful  to  Jehovah  and  worshipped  other  gods,  he  punished  them  at 
the  hands  of  their  heathen  neighbors ; but,  when  his  people  repented, 
he  raised  champions  who  delivered  them.  Each  narrative  is  fitted  into 
a setting  which  embodies  this  religious  philosophy  of  history,  even 
though  the  contents  of  the  primitive  stories  do  not  always  confirm  this 
theory.  To  this  same  framework  also  belong  the  statements  regarding 
the  duration  of  the  rule  of  each  judge  or  deliverer.  It  is  assumed  that 
they  ruled  over  all  Israel  and  that  their  reigns  were  in  succession, 
although  the  original  stories  make  it  perfectly  clear  that  the  judges 
were  local  deliverers,  often  contemporaneous  with  each  other,  and  that 
the  extent  of  their  territory  was  very  different  from  that  of  the  kings 
of  a later  day. 

The  stories  in  the  appendix,  17-21,  are  very  loosely  joined  to  the  rest 
of  the  book  and,  like  lx-25,  do  not  appear  to  have  been  an  original  part 
of  it.  Furthermore,  they  differ  from  those  which  precede  in  that  their 
interest  is  in  religious  and  ethical  institutions  rather  than  in  political 
events. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  infer  from  their  character  and  contents  what  was 
the  origin  of  the  stories  in  Judges.  They  were  at  first  the  possessions 
of  the  different  clans  or  tribes,  which  figure  in  them,  and  they  kept 
alive  the  memory  of  the  deeds  of  the  tribal  champions.  Different  tradi- 
tions were  doubtless  cherished  at  different  centres.  Eliud  was  the  local 
hero  of  Gilgal.  Deborah  and  Barak  apparently  belonged  to  the  tribe  of 
Issachar  (cf.  note  § 139);  Gideon  and  Abimelech  to  Ophrah  and 
Shechem;  Jephthah  to  Mizpah  in  Gilead.  The  character  of  the  Sam- 
son stories  proclaims  that  they  were  the  possession  of  the  common  peo- 
ple, especially  of  southwestern  Canaan.  The  union  of  all  the  tribes 
gave  a universal  value  to  these  pojmlar  records  of  an  almost  pre-historic 
age.  Later  editors,  who  employed  them  with  a view  to  influencing  the 
national  conscience,  naturally  read  back  into  this  early  period  the  ideas 
and  institutions  of  their  day,  but  they  carefully  preserved  the  integrity 
of  the  original  narratives  as  they  found  them.  The  result  is  that  the 
book  of  Judges  is  a bundle  of  tribal  traditions,  some  of  them  antedat- 
ing the  birth  of  the  Hebrew  kingdom  and  presenting  marvellously 
realistic  portraits  of  the  nation  in  the  making. 

Ruth  is  one  of  the  few  books  in  the  Old  Testament  which  constitutes 
a single,  literary  unit.  Its  contents,  as  well  as  its  position  in  the  Greek 
Old  Testament,  strongly  suggest  that  it  was  once  a part  of  the  appen- 
dix to  the  book  of  Judges,  17-21,  for,  like  the  stories  found  there,  it  is 
concerned  not  with  political  but  with  religious  and  social  themes. 

Whether  this  be  true  or  not  (cf.  § 134),  it  seems  exceedingly  proba- 
ble that  Judges  17-21  and  Ruth  are  from  a little  cycle  of  stories  origi- 
nally treasured  at  Bethlehem  of  Judah.  It  is  significant  that  each  is 

.27 


The 

didactic 
teaching 
of  the 
book 


The  ap- 
pendix, 
17-21 


Ulti- 
mate 
origin  of 
the  tra- 
ditions 
in 

Judges 


Book  of 
Ruth 


Origin 


Evi- 
dence of 
compila- 
tion 


Indica- 
tions 
which 
led  to 
the  dis- 
covery 
of  the 
original 
groups 
of  narra- 
tives 


The 
work  of 
discov- 
ery 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 

intimately  associated  with  that  important  southern  town.  In  Judges  17 
it  is  repeatedly  stated  that  the  young  Levite,  who  became  the  priest  of 
Micah  the  Ephraimite  and  later  presided  at  the  sanctuary  of  Dan,  was 
from  Bethlehem  of  Judah.  The  victim  of  the  lust  of  the  Gibeathites  in 
Judges  19  was  from  the  same  place,  and  the  opening  scene  in  the  trag- 
edy is  located  there.  It  is  also  distinctly  stated  that  the  husband  and 
mother-in-law  of  Ruth  were  from  Bethlehem  of  Judah  (l1,  2),  and  most 
of  the  story  finds  its  setting  in  this  famous  little  town.  It  is  fortunate, 
therefore,  that  the  Latin  and  English  translators  followed  the  Greek  in 
placing  it  immediately  after  Judges. 

This  general  survey  has  incidentally  revealed  a few  of  the  many  and 
complex  data  which  must  be  considered  in  formulating  a working 
hypothesis  regarding  the  history  and  present  relations  of  the  different 
narratives  found  in  the  Old  Testament.  The  evidence  is  convincing 
that  the  first  seven  books,  like  most  of  those  found  in  the  Bible  and  the 
writings  which  come  to  us  from  the  Orient,  are  the  result  of  compila- 
tion— that  is,  their  different  parts  have  been  derived  from  older  sources, 
oral  and  written,  and  combined  in  the  order  in  which  they  now  appear. 
The  presence  of  scores  of  duplicate  versions  of  the  same  story,  some  of 
which  agree  almost  verbatim,  while  others  differ  radically  in  language, 
style,  general  representation  and  point  of  view,  confirms  the  testimony 
of  the  history  that  not  one  but  several  distinct  writers  or  groups  of 
writers  first  put  these  variant  versions  of  the  oral  traditions  into  liter- 
ary form.  Furthermore,  when  they  are  carefully  examined,  certain 
stories  are  found  to  share  in  common  the  same  linguistic,  stylistic, 
sociological,  and  theological  characteristics.  Together  they  constitute 
a connected,  consistent  narrative,  which,  as  a whole,  is  parallel  to  and 
yet  radically  distinct  from  certain  other  continuous  narratives,  which 
consist  likewise  of  groups  of  homogeneous  stories. 

As  is  well  known,  the  first  fact  to  attract  the  attention  of  careful 
biblical  scholars  was  that,  in  certain  sections,  God  (Elohim ) was  always 
used  as  the  designation  of  the  Deity,  while  in  others  only  Jehovah 
(Yahmeh ).  Further  examination  demonstrated  that  the  narratives  thus 
related  consistently  employed  similar  synonyms,  such  as  Jacob,  Horeb, 
and  Midianite,  while  another  group  of  stories  used  others,  such  as 
Israel,  Sinai,  and  Ishmaelite.  In  addition  to  words,  a long  list  of 
idioms  and  stylistic  peculiarities  was  discovered  to  be  characteristic  of 
each  of  the  different  groups.  These  literary  watermarks  were  in  time 
found  to  be  but  the  surface  indications  of  more  fundamental  points  of 
likeness  and  difference,  involving  method  of  representation,  conceptions 
of  the  Deity,  and  didactic  purpose. 

For  at  least  four  centuries  the  scholars  of  Christendom  have  devoted 
much  of  their  attention  to  collecting  and  interpreting  the  extensive  and 
complex  data.  Many  different  hypotheses  have  been  propounded  to 
explain  the  facts  and  have  in  turn  been  modified  in  the  light  of  addi- 
tional evidence.  Gradually  the  general  conclusions,  which  are  now 
almost  universally  held  by  critical  students  in  all  Christian  lands,  have 

28 


THEIR  PRESENT  LITERARY  FORM  AND  CONTENTS 


been  formulated.  The  list  of  those  who  have  made  important  contribu- 
tions to  the  final  results  is  now  exceedingly  long. 

The  conclusions  are  not  those  of  an  individual,  nor  of  a school,  nor 
even  of  one  generation  of  scholars.  They  are  based  not  on  theories, 
nor  on  the  often  fanciful  traditions  of  Jewish  rabbis  or  early  church 
fathers,  but  on  the  solid  basis  of  the  facts  presented  by  the  Old  Testa- 
ment books  themselves.  They  are  in  turn  substantiated  by  the  inde- 
pendent testimony  of  history  and  comparative  literature.  It  is  safe, 
therefore,  to  regard  them  as  no  longer  on  trial  or  under  suspicion,  but 
rather  as  the  foundations — as  sure  as  enlightened  human  insight  and 
scientific  method  can  discover — upon  which  Old  Testament  interpreta- 
tion and  doctrine  are  in  the  future  to  rest. 

The  first  of  these  general  conclusions  is  that  the  crystallization  of 
the  Old  Testament  traditions  into  literary  form  was  gradual  and  pro- 
gressive and  that  the  different  collections  of  homogeneous  narratives 
are  the  work  of  four  distinct  groups  or  schools  of  writers  who  flourished 
at  different  periods  in  Israel’s  history.  The  second  is  that  the  present 
arrangement  of  the  stories  is  the  result,  first  of  the  close  amalgamation 
of  extracts  from  the  two  older  prophetic  groups  and  then  of  their  being 
combined  with  the  late  prophetic  and  very  late  priestly  narratives. 
The  third  is  that  these  composite  histories  have  been  supplemented  at 
different  stages  by  later  additions  and  harmonistic  and  editorial  notes. 
Thus  their  literary  is  nearly  as  long  and  fully  as  complex  as  their  oral 
history. 

As  is  well  known,  Tatian,  the  pupil  of  Justin  Martyr,  in  the  second 
Christian  century,  conceived  and  executed  the  plan  of  combining  our 
four  gospels  into  one  continuous  narrative.  Similar  subject-matter  he 
introduced  but  once.  Ordinarily  when  there  were  two  variant  versions, 
he  adopted  the  fuller,  or  where  each  presented  independent  details  he 
combined  verses  or  parts  of  verses  from  one  with  similar  selections  from 
others.  Sometimes  parallel  passages  are  introduced  in  sequence.  Cer- 
tain minor  inconsistencies  he  eliminated,  others  he  ignored.  Sometimes 
he  added  a few  words  to  bring  the  different  narratives  into  harmony. 
Elsewhere  he  transposed  verses  and  stories.  Thus,  for  example,  fol- 
lowing the  first  three  gospels,  he  transferred  the  Johannine  account  of 
the  cleansing  of  the  temple  (Jn.  213"16)  from  the  beginning  of  Jesus’s 
ministry  to  his  final  visit  to  Jerusalem.  Great  care  is  exercised  not  to 
leave  out  any  fresh  material.  Consequently  two-thirds  of  the  first  three 
and  all  of  the  fourth  gospel  have  been  included.  The  result  is  an  ex- 
ceedingly complex,  composite  gospel.*  If  this  work  had  succeeded  in  so 
completely  supplanting  the  original  four  gospels  that  they  had  been 
completely  lost,  New  Testament  scholars  would  have  been  confronted 
by  a precisely  similar,  although  somewhat  more  difficult  problem  than 
that  presented  by  the  first  seven  books  of  the  Old  Testament. 


* Cf.  article  on  “Tatian’s  Diatessaron  and  the  Analysis  of  the  Pentateuch,”  by  Professor  G.  F. 
Moore  in  Journal  of  Bib.  Lit.,  1890,  pp.  201-215 ; Carpenter  and  Plarford  Battersby,  llexateuch,  I 
8-11;  Hill,  The  Earliest  Life  of  Christ,  1894;  Hogg,  Ante-Nicene  Christian  Library,  1897. 

29 


Value  of 
the  re- 
sults 


The 

three 

basal 

conclu- 

sions 


The 

New 

Testa- 

ment 

analogy: 

Tatian’s 

Diates- 

saron 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


The 

problem 
of  Old 
Testa- 
ment 
analysis 


Practi- 
cal re- 
fill ts  of 
the 

analysis 


Fortunately  in  the  case  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  individual  charac- 
teristics of  the  four  originals  are  more  marked,  the  amalgamation  is  not 
so  close,  the  transpositions  are  not  many,  and  more  duplicate  versions  of 
the  same  incidents  have  been  retained.  Similar  reverence  for  the  writ- 
ten word  and  a corresponding  desire  to  preserve  everything  which  con- 
tained additional  material  explain  why,  after  the  analysis  has  been 
made,  the  four  resulting  narratives  are  each  approximately  complete. 
If  they  should  be  discovered  in  their  original  form,  it  is  possible  that 
they  would  add  little  to  our  present  knowledge.  Like  the  one-third  of 
the  synoptic  gospels,  which  is  omitted  by  Tatian,  the  remaining  parts 
would  probably  be  found  to  consist  of  exceedingly  close  parallels  to  the 
versions  which  have  been  retained. 

Thus,  as  a result  of  the  work  of  more  than  two  centuries  of  biblical 
scholarship,  we  have  to-day,  instead  of  one,  four  parallel  historical  nar- 
ratives in  the  Old,  as  well  as  in  the  New  Testament.  A modern  history 
of  the  Hebrew  people  rests  therefore  not  on  one  but  four  corner-stones. 
Variations  and  contradictions  no  longer  produce  doubt  and  alarm,  when 
their  true  explanation  is  understood,  any  more  than  they  do  in  the  case 
of  the  four  gospels.  Above  all,  the  critical  historian  is  able  to  avail 
himself  of  the  testimony  of  witnesses  who  lived  many  centuries  before 
the  completion  of  the  books  in  which  their  writings  are  now  embodied. 
When  the  analysis  has  disclosed  the  different  narratives,  they  can  be 
studied  in  their  original  literary  simplicity  and  unity,  free  from  the 
abrupt  transitions  and  seeming  inconsistencies  which  characterize  them 
in  their  present  form.  Only  when  the  older  is  distinguished  from  the 
later,  it  is  possible  intelligently  and  constructively  to  trace  the  marvel- 
lous unfolding  of  Israel’s  faith  and  of  that  noble  moral  and  religious 
sense  which  made  the  Hebrews  a race  of  prophets. 


30 


IV 


CHARACTERISTICS,  DATES,  AND  HISTORY  OF  THE  DIF- 
FERENT PROPHETIC  AND  PRIESTLY  NARRATIVES 

i.  The  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

The  oldest  homogeneous  narratives  in  the  Old  Testament  are  conven- 
tionally designated  as  the  Judean,  Jehovistic  prophetic.  They  are  called 
the  Judean  because  their  authors  are  especially  interested  in  Judah  and 
acquainted  with  the  details  of  the  tribal  and  local  history  of  the  south- 
ern kingdom;  Jehovistic,  because  Jehovah  is  almost  universally  em- 
ployed as  the  designation  of  the  Deity ; and  prophetic,  because  the  pre- 
vailing point  of  view  and  aim  throughout  are  those  of  the  earlier 
prophets.  Of  these  three  distinguishing  designations,  Jehovistic  is  per- 
haps the  least  exact,  for  the  name  Jehovah  is  prevailingly  employed  in 
the  other  narratives  after  the  revelation  to  Moses,  recorded  in  Exodus 
3 (cf.  § 6l).  For  practical  use  the  title  Judean  prophetic  narratives 
is  sufficiently  distinctive  and  at  the  same  time  clearly  intelligible. 

These  narratives  open  with  the  brief  account  of  the  creation  of  man 
and  of  his  temptation  and  fall  in  the  garden  of  Eden  (Gen.  24b-324). 
They  then  trace  by  means  of  distinct  stories  the  beginning  of  human 
civilization  and  moral  degeneracy,  which  in  time  make  necessary  the 
divine  judgment  and  the  new  beginning  inaugurated  by  the  flood. 
These,  with  the  popular  traditions  regarding  the  origin  of  the  nations 
(Gen.  10,  11),  serve  as  an  introduction  to  the  detailed  stories  of  the 
patriarchs.  Beginning  in  the  first  chapter  of  Exodus,  the  Judean  nar- 
ratives present  concisely  and  graphically  each  important  event  in  the 
life  of  the  Hebrews  in  Egypt,  in  the  wilderness,  and  finally  in  the  land 
of  Canaan.  In  the  form  of  more  or  less  closely  connected  stories,  they 
thus  furnish  a complete  history  of  Israel  from  the  creation  to  at  least 
the  death  of  David.  They  are  found  in  Genesis,  Exodus,  Numbers, 
Deuteronomy  34,  Joshua,  Judges,  and  Samuel-Kings  (for  details  cf. 
Table  of  Contents,  first  column),  and  represent  more  than  one-third  of 
the  total  contents  of  these  books. 

A comprehensive  purpose  runs  through  and  binds  together  all  the 
Judean  prophetic  stories:  it  is  to  trace  from  its  remotest  beginnings, 
and  on  its  every  side,  the  history  of  the  covenant  people  of  Jehovah. 
The  historical  motive  is  much  more  prominent  than  in  the  other  groups 
of  narratives.  Everything  which  concerns  the  nation  Israel,  whether 
it  be  the  primitive  origin  of  the  arts,  or  of  its  neighbors,  or  of  its  insti- 
tutions, or  the  achievements  of  its  champions,  here  finds  a place.  The 
oldest  traditions  in  the  possession  of  the  race  are  incorporated,  irrespec- 
tive of  their  origin,  provided  they  throw  light  upon  Israel’s  early  life, 

31 


Origin 
of  the 
name 


Scope 

and 

contents 


Purpose 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Literary 

style 


General 

charac- 

teristics 


Concep- 
tions of 
Jehovah 


and  Jehovah’s  relation  to  his  people.  All  classes  and  institutions, 
secular  and  ceremonial,  are  presented  with  equal  impartiality;  and 
events  in  the  history  of  the  northern  kingdom  are  treated  almost  as 
fully  as  those  of  the  southern.  The  point  of  view  and  purpose  of  the 
patriotic  prophet  are  also  revealed  in  that  deep,  broad  religious  philoso- 
phy of  history  which  underlies  and  finds  expression  in  many  of  the 
narratives.  The  opening  stories  are  in  reality  the  history  of  the  origin 
and  consequences  of  sin,  as  illustrated  in  the  life  of  primitive  man. 
The  individual  incidents  and  Israel’s  history,  as  it  is  presented  in  its 
entirety,  unobtrusively,  yet  powerfully,  proclaim  those  germinal  truths 
regarding  Jehovah’s  character  and  gracious  rule  which  later  teachers 
expounded  by  word  of  mouth.  At  certain  critical  points  in  the  history 
are  also  introduced  those  inspired  interpretations  of  the  divine  purpose 
being  realized  in  it,  which  are  pecidiar  to  the  prophets  (cf.  Gen.  315, 
529,  821,  925'27,  123,  3,  1818,  19).  Thus  in  a most  effective  manner  the 
Judean  narratives  conserve  the  exalted  aims  of  the  patriotic  historian 
and  the  devoted  prophet. 

The  literary  style  is  singularly  free  and  flowing.  There  is  nothing 
of  the  repetitiousness  and  formality  of  the  priest.  The  stories  move 
on  rapidly  to  the  climax ; the  characters  are  sketched  distinctly,  but  with 
a few  strokes.  Dialogues  are  frequent,  and  especially  effective  in  pre- 
senting in  concise,  vivid  form  the  salient  elements  of  the  story.  The 
vocabulary  is  as  picturesque  and  dramatic  as  the  style.  It  is  also  large 
and  diversified.  Onomatopoetic  words  are  constantly  employed.  Sol- 
emn plays  upon  words  abound.  Quotations  from  ancient  songs  are  fre- 
quently introduced.  The  many  expressions  peculiar  to  this  source,  as, 
for  exanqale,  “a  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,”  or  “Jehovah’s 
anger  was  kindled,”  are  also  exceedingly  picturesque  (cf.  Appendix  II. 
for  words  and  expressions  peculiar  to  the  Judean  narratives).  The 
result  is  that  many  of  the  Judean  stories  are  prose  poems,  unsurpassed 
in  simple  literary  beauty  by  anything  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Many  general  characteristics  distinguish  the  Judean  prophetic 
narratives.  Thus,  for  example,  they  usually  call  the  ancient  inhabi- 
tants of  Palestine  Canaanites,  the  sacred  mountain  Sinai,  and  the  tradi- 
tional father  of  the  twelve  tribes,  Israel.  Great  interest  is  also  shown 
in  the  popular  etymologies  of  the  names  of  persons  and  places.  On 
the  other  hand,  little  attention  is  paid  to  genealogy  and  chronology. 

The  religious  conceptions  are  also  equally  distinctive.  Jehovah  is 
not  portrayed  merely  as  a Spirit,  far  removed  from  intimate  contact 
with  human  affairs,  but  as  a Being,  who  walks  in  the  garden  of  Eden  in 
the  cool  of  the  day  (Gen.  38),  who  comes  down  to  see  with  his  eyes  the 
tower  of  Babel  (ll5),  who  goes  to  investigate  personally  the  guilt  of 
Sodom  (1821),  who  comes  to  deliver  Israel  from  its  bondage  (Ex.  3s), 
and  who  descends  upon  Mount  Sinai  to  speak  by  word  of  mouth  to  his 
people  (1911,  18,  30,  345).  Sometimes  he  reveals  himself  through  his  Mes- 
senger (Gen.  167,  24*7,  10),  or  through  the  burning  thorn  bush  (Ex.  32),  or 
in  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  (1321).  The  language  is  that  of  the  in- 

32 


THE  JUDEAN  PROPHETIC  NARRATIVES 


spired  poet  rather  than  of  the  theologian.  Although  the  terms  employed 
to  describe  the  Deity  are  inherited  from  a primitive,  naive  stage  in  hu- 
man thought,  the  God  therein  described  is  full  of  majesty  and  dignity. 
He  rules  supreme  over  Egypt  and  Israel’s  neighbors  as  he  did  in  the 
garden  of  Eden  and  at  the  flood.  His  purpose  determines  the  history  of 
the  Edomites  and  Ishmaelites,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Israelites.  The  as- 
scription  to  him  of  human  attributes  only  deepens  the  impression  that  he 
is  a living,  present  personality  to  be  loved  and  obeyed  by  the  individual 
as  well  as  by  the  covenant  nation.  The  simplicity  and  naturalness  of 
the  theological  conceptions  of  these  early  narratives  are  among  the 
most  fertile  sources  of  their  charm  and  dramatic  beauty;  and,  after  all, 
it  is  only  through  the  study  of  man,  the  reflection  and  image  of  God, 
that  it  is  possible  to  attain  a definite  conception  of  the  Infinite,  and  to 
describe  those  divine  attributes  which  appeal  most  ■ strongly  to  the 
human  heart.  The  authors  of  the  later  narratives  in  eliminating  the 
anthropomorphisms  gained  something,  but  they  divested  their  stories 
of  that  personal  element  which  is  one  of  the  chief  attractions  of  the 
older  traditions. 

The  conception  of  Jehovah’s  personal  presence  is  the  foundation  of 
the  ethical  teachings  of  the  Judean  narratives.  Right  and  wrong  are 
not  measured  by  conformity  to  abstract  principles  or  specific  laws; 
they  depend  upon  whether  the  individual  or  nation  has  faithfully  met 
the  demands  of  the  divine  Friend  and  Patron.  Ethics  are  thus  placed 
upon  a concrete,  personal  basis.  Abraham,  the  friend  of  God,  is  the 
type  of  the  ideal  man,  because  he  was  responsive  to  every  indication  of 
Jehovah’s  will.  Adam  and  Eve  are  opposite  types,  because  they  dis- 
obeyed, even  though  the  sin  inherent  in  the  eating  from  the  tree  of 
knowledge  was  not  apparent.  To  do  Jehovah’s  will  in  thought  and 
deed  is  the  whole  duty  of  man.  Thus  that  direct  personal  relation 
between  God  and  the  individual  which  is  central  in  the  teachings  of 
Jesus  is  first  clearly  expressed  in  the  old  Judean  narratives. 

Embodying  as  they  do  many  very  ancient  traditions,  it  is  surprising 
that  their  practices  do  not  more  often  fall  below  the  perfect  Christian 
standards.  The  deceptions  practised  by  Abraham  in  regard  to  his  wife, 
the  crafty  devices  of  Jacob,  and  the  robbery  of  the  Egyptians  (Ex.  1236) 
cannot  for  a moment  be  justified;  but  they  are  only  marks  of  the  mould 
in  which  the  stories  were  originally  cast.  So,  also,  the  position  of 
woman,  concubinage,  and  the  treatment  of  heathen  foes  are  oriental 
survivals.  That  which  is  really  characteristic  is  the  genuine  piety  and 
the  intense  desire  to  do  the  will  of  God  which  dominates  the  repre- 
sentative actors  in  these  primitive  classics. 

While  with  the  later  prophets  these  narratives  define  religion  as  an  at- 
titude toward  God  to  be  made  manifest  by  just  and  loving  acts,  they  do 
not  ignore  religious  forms  and  ceremonies.  Worship  and  sacrifice  are 
assumed  to  have  existed  at  the  very  beginnings  of  human  history  (Gen. 
4).  Priests  are  also  referred  to  in  Exodus  1922'24;  but  they  are  not 
prominent.  In  keeping  with  early  Hebrew  usage,  it  is  assumed  that 

S3 


Ethical 

stand- 

ards 


Marks  of 

early 

origin 


Attitude 
toward 
early  re- 
ligious 
institu- 
tions 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Real 
charac- 
ter and 
origin 


Place  of 
composi- 
tion 


any  individual  may  offer  sacrifice,  although  the  local  shrines  were  sup- 
posed to  have  their  district  priests  (cf.,  e.  g.,  Judg.  17,  18,  §§  130,  131). 
While  great  interest  is  shown  in  the  origin  of  secular  institutions,  com- 
paratively little  attention  is  devoted  to  the  beginnings  of  ceremonial 
customs.  The  traditional  origins  of  holy  places,  like  Hebron  and 
Beersheba,  and  of  sacred  objects,  such  as  the  altar  at  Bethel,  are  given 
in  the  stories  associated  with  the  patriarchs  or  else,  if  it  be  a later 
shrine,  like  that  at  Dan,  in  a detailed  historical  narrative. 

While  all  the  Judean  prophetic  narratives  are  bound  together  by  a 
large  number  of  common  characteristics,  different  stories  betray  differ- 
ent points  of  view  and  are  often  not  entirely  consistent  with  each  other. 
Thus,  for  example,  the  narrative  of  Genesis  416'24  knows  nothing  of  the 
Judean  story  of  the  flood  (§  8),  for  it  states  that  all  nomads,  musicians, 
and  metal-workers  were  the  direct  descendants  of  the  sons  of  the  ante- 
diluvian Lamech  (cf.  note  § 4).  Some  also  reflect  exceedingly  primi- 
tive ideas  and  usages,  while  others  in  language  and  representation  are 
related  to  the  writings  of  a maturer  age.  These  constantly  recurring 
phenomena  point  to  two  facts:  (1)  that  the  stories  in  the  Judean  group 
were  collected  from  many  different  places  and  originated  in  different 
periods.  The  spirit  and  breadth  of  those  who  put  them  in  their  present 
literary  form  led  them  to  retain  the  peculiarities  of  the  original  oral 
tradition.  (2)  The  Judean  narratives  were  not  (as  has  sometimes 
been  claimed  in  the  past)  from  one  prophet,  but  rather  from  a school 
of  prophets  who  worked  with  a common  purpose,  wrote  from  the  same 
point  of  view,  and  probably  from  the  same  geographical  centre,  and 
influenced  each  other’s  literary  style  so  powerfully  that  they  all  em- 
ployed certain  similar  words  and  expressions.  That  they  were  all  con- 
temporaries or  even  lived  during  the  same  century  cannot  be  main- 
tained, although  the  bulk  of  their  work  was  probably  done  during  the 
same  half  century.  This  main  body  of  narratives  is  called,  for  sake 
of  distinction,  the  early  Judean  prophetic  (technically  represented  sim- 
ply by  J),  and  the  subsequent  additions  or  supplements,  the  later 
Judean  (technically  represented  by  Js  or  J2,  J3  or  Jb,  Jc). 

The  evidence  is  conclusive  that  the  other  great  collection  of  prophetic 
writings  in  the  Old  Testament  came  from  the  northern  kingdom;  but 
in  the  case  of  the  first  group  the  data  are  less  obvious.  Almost  as  much 
interest  is  shown  in  the  history  and  sanctuaries  of  the  North  as  of  the 
South.  On  general  principles,  however,  it  is  to  be  expected  that  these 
narratives,  which  constantly  parallel  and  yet  differ  in  form  and  details 
from  those  which  can  be  traced  to  northern  Israel,  are  from  Judah. 
Outside  tradition  throws  no  light  upon  the  question;  but  the  internal 
evidence,  on  the  whole,  favors  the  conclusion  adopted  above.  Thus, 
for  example,  great  prominence  is  given  to  Abraham’s  sojourning  at 
Hebron.  In  the  Joseph  stories  it  is  Judah,  not  Reuben,  who  takes  the 
lead  and  is  represented  as  the  first-born  (Gen.  3726,  438,  4416,  18,  §§  45, 
52).  In  Genesis  4910"12  Judah  is  also  assigned  the  position  of  leader- 
ship among  the  tribes.  The  strange  tribal  tale  in  Genesis  38  regarding 

34 


THE  JUDEAN  PROPHETIC  NARRATIVES 


Judah  would  scarcely  have  been  preserved  except  in  the  South.  Num- 
bers 2417  appears  to  contain  an  unmistakable  reference  to  the  rule  and 
conquests  of  David.  More  significant  still  is  the  absence  of  any  clear 
references  to  Joshua,  the  northern  Israelitish  leader,  in  the  early 
Judean  narratives.  Caleb,  the  traditional  ancestor  of  one  of  the  lead- 
ing tribes  of  the  South  takes  his  place  in  the  story  of  the  spies,  although 
in  the  parallel  northern  Israelitish  version  Joshua  is  assigned  the  chief 
role  (§90).  In  the  books  of  Samuel  the  interest  in  the  Judean  king- 
dom and  in  the  house  of  David  becomes  even  more  obvious.  The 
authors,  therefore,  appear  to  have  been  patriotic  Judean  prophets,  prob- 
ably resident  in  Jerusalem,  who  wrote  under  the  shadow  of  the  sanctu- 
ary reared  by  Solomon. 

From  the  nature  of  their  origin  it  is  impossible  to  determine  the  exact 
date  of  the  narratives.  They  were  of  gradual  growth.  Their  roots 
extended  far  back  to  the  beginnings  of  Hebrew  and  early  Semitic  his- 
tory. The  approximate  date,  when  the  early  Judean  prophetic  narra- 
tives were  combined  together  in  a connected  writing,  may,  however,  be 
ascertained  from  certain  references  which  they  contain.  The  general 
considerations  which  point  to  some  period  after  the  reign  of  David 
have  already  been  noted  (cf.  p.  18).  To  this  may  be  added  the  fact 
that  not  until  the  days  of  the  united  kingdom  does  the  divine  designa- 
tion, Jehovah,  begin  to  take  the  place  of  the  older  El  (as,  for  example, 
SamueZ)  in  proper  names.  The  belief,  reflected  in  the  Judean  narra- 
tives, that  the  name  Jehovah  was  employed  universally  from  the  earliest 
times,  would  naturally  not  arise  until  still  later.  The  statement  in 
Genesis  3631,  before  any  king  ruled  over  the  children  of  Israel,  obvi- 
ously implies  the  existence  of  the  Hebrew  kingdom.  The  subjugation 
of  the  Canaanites,  which  was  not  complete  until  the  days  of  Solomon 
(cf.  I Kgs.  920'  21),  is  assumed  in  many  passages  ( e . g.,  Gen.  1518).  The 
boundaries  of  the  territory  assigned  to  the  Hebrews  in  Genesis  1 518  are 
those  of  Solomon’s  empire  (I  Kgs.  421).  The  allusions  to  the  friendly 
relations  between  the  sons  of  Shem  and  Japheth  in  Genesis  927  were 
probably  suggested  by  the  alliances  between  the  Hebrews  and  the  col- 
onizing Phoenicians  in  the  days  of  David  and  Solomon.  Not  until 
David  conquered  Edom  did  the  allusions  in  Genesis  2523  and  Numbers 
2418  possess  a definite  meaning;  and  the  reference  in  Genesis  2740  to 
Esau’s  shaking  off"  the  yoke  of  Jacob  seems  to  be  to  the  successful  revolt 
of  the  Edomites  in  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century  b.c.  The  curse 
upon  the  one  who  should  rebuild  Jericho  in  Joshua  626  also  points  to  the 
same  century,  when  Hiel  the  Bethelite  laid  the  foundation  of  Jericho 
with  the  loss  of  his  first-born  (I  Kgs.  l634).  The  account  of  the 
relations  between  Jacob  and  Laban  seems  to  reflect  the  protracted  wars 
between  the  Hebrews  and  the  Arameans  in  the  days  following  the  death 
of  Solomon.  The  spirit  of  the  Judean  narratives,  however,  is  that  of 
the  ancient  monarchy.  They  reflect  the  old  hostilities  with  the  Edom- 
ites and  Moabites.  They  give  no  indications  of  the  suspicious  attitude 
toward  the  high  places  and  popular  forms  of  worship  which  begins  to 

35 


Date  of 
composi 
tion 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Later 

addi- 
tions to 
the  early 
Judean 
narra- 
tives 


The 
three 
types  of 
addi- 
tions 


find  expression  in  the  sermons  of  Amos,  Hosea,  and  Isaiah  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  eighth  century  b.c.,  and  which  in  621  b.c.  led  to  the 
sweeping  reformation  of  Josiah.  The  conceptions  of  Jehovah  and  of 
his  demands  are  those  of  the  century  before  Amos.  Such  passages  as 
Amos  29,  10,  Hosea  123,  4|  12,  13,  910,  and  Micah  64,  5,  contain  references  to 
the  traditions  recorded  in  the  Judean  narratives.  Thus  the  evidence  of 
history  and  later  literature  points  to  the  century  between  850  and  750 
b.c.  as  their  probable  date.  They  suggest  a period  of  comparative 
prosperity  (cf.  Gen.  1518,  Ex.  2331),  when  the  relations  between  the  two 
Hebrew  kingdoms  were  friendly.  Such  a period  was  that  which  fol- 
lowed the  reformation  inaugurated  by  Elijah  and  carried  through  in 
northern  Israel  by  Elisha  and  Jehu  about  842.  Six  years  later  a sim- 
ilar reformation  was  instituted  in  Judah  which  resulted  in  the  over- 
throw of  Athaliah,  the  daughter  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and  the  heathen 
cults  which  she  fostered.  Under  the  leadership  of  Jehoiada,  the  priest, 
and  his  protege,  the  young  king  Joasli,  Israelitish  and  prophetic  princi- 
ples again  gained  the  ascendency.  It  was  probably  under  the  inspira- 
tion of  this  reformation,  that,  about  825  b.c.,  the  Judean  prophets  began 
their  great  task  of  writing  that  comprehensive  history  which  was  in- 
tended to  enforce  the  covenant  then  made  between  Jehovah  and  the 
Icing  and  the  people,  that  they  should  be  Jehovah’s  people  (2  Kgs. 
II17). 

In  order  to  understand  its  later  history,  it  must  be  remembered  that 
the  main  strand  of  the  Judean  narratives,  when  completed,  did  not  pos- 
sess the  authority  and  sanctity  which  were  attributed  to  them  by  later 
Judaism.  The  prophetic  writings  were  not  canonized  until  the  fourth 
century  b.c.  For  four  centuries  at  least  later  prophets  and  editors 
were  therefore  at  liberty  to  supplement  and  revise  them  as  they  thought 
best.  It  is  probable  that  at  first  only  one  or,  at  the  most,  a very  few 
copies  were  made  (cf.  the  book  of  the  covenant  discovered  in  the  days 
of  Josiah  II  Kgs.  228'10,  and  the  one  copy  of  the  first  edition  of  Jere- 
miah’s prophecies,  Jer.  36).  Additions  would,  therefore,  readily  gain 
equal  acceptance  with  the  original,  especially  if  they  were  written  in 
the  same  spirit  and  style.  Divine  revelation  also  did  not  cease,  but 
ever  became  more  complete,  so  that  in  reality  the  later  possess  authority 
equal  to  or  greater  than  the  earlier.  As  a matter  of  fact,  many  of  the 
most  deeply  spiritual  and  helpful  passages  in  the  Old  Testament  are 
found  in  these  additions. 

The  contributions  of  the  later  Judean  writers  took  three  distinct 
forms.  In  the  first  place,  they  expanded  certain  passages  by  the  addi- 
tion of  explanatory,  geographical,  or  archaeological  notes.  Thus  the 
detailed  statements  regarding  the  river  of  Eden  with  its  four  branches 
in  Genesis  210'15  introduce  an  archaeological  motive  which  is  foreign  to 
the  purpose  of  the  original  story  (cf.  § 2,  note6).  To  this  class  proba- 
bly belong  the  frequently  recurring  list  of  the  early  inhabitants  of 
Canaan  (Gen.  1015'18,  1519'21,  Ex.  38’ 17,  135,  2323- 28,  332,  3411,  Josh.  310, 
91,  ll3,  12s,  24u),  and  explanatory  statements,  as,  for  example,  that 

36 


THE  EPHRAIMITE  PROPHETIC  NARRATIVES 


Kiriath-arba  is  identical  with  Hebron  (Gen.  232 *,  Judg.  I10).  The  sec- 
ond type  of  additions  includes  the  hortatory  expansions  which  interrupt 
the  sequence  of  thought  in  the  early  tradition  and  introduce  a more 
spiritual  teaching  and  a new  form  of  expression.  Illustrations  of  this 
type  are  Abraham’s  exhortations  in  behalf  of  Sodom  in  Genesis  1817"19, 
22b-33a  (note  g 20)  and  Moses’s  prayer  in  Exodus  346,  7 ■ 9b  (note  § 78). 
The  third  class  comprises  the  later  supplemental  narratives.  Of  this 
character  is  the  story  of  the  murder  of  Abel  by  Cain  in  Genesis  4,  which 
is  distinct  from  the  older  tradition  where  Cain  is  represented,  not  as 
the  guilty  outlaw,  but  as  the  father  of  those  who  developed  the  arts  of 
civilization  (note  § 3).  Another  example  is  the  story  of  Abram’s  de- 
ception regarding  Sarai,  his  wife,  at  Pharaoh’s  court,  in  Genesis  129-134 * * * *. 
The  characters  and  setting  are  different,  but  the  incident  is  the  same, 
as  is  told  in  simpler  terms  regarding  Isaac  and  Rebekah  at  the  court 
of  Abimelech  king  of  Gerar  in  Genesis  26  (note  § 13).  From  the 
same  later  age  probably  come  the  stories  in  Joshua,  which,  contrary  to 
the  representation  of  the  early  Judean  narratives,  make  Joshua  the 
leader  of  all  the  tribes  in  the  initial  conquests  of  Canaan  (note  § 106). 

It  is  obvious  that  these  later  additions  came  from  different  writers 
and  periods.  The  language  and  spirit  of  the  more  important  are  those 
of  the  prophets  of  the  eighth  century  b.c.  It  was  probably  under  the 
inspiration  of  their  teaching  that  the  later  revisers  supplemented  the 
earlier  narratives.  The  prophetic  account  of  the  flood  apparently  re- 
flects the  renewed  contact  with  the  civilization  of  the  Tigris-Euphrates 
valley,  which  resulted  from  the  Assyrian  conquest  of  Palestine  during 
the  same  and  the  early  part  of  the  succeeding  century  (Appendix  V.). 
The  later  Judean  narratives  may  therefore  be  dated  approximately  be- 
tween 750  and  650  b.c.  Thus  during  the  century  and  a half  preceding 
the  great  trials  and  national  upheavals  which  came  to  the  Hebrew  peo- 
ple, certain  of  their  prophets  were  in  divine  providence  collecting  the 
records  of  their  past  that  illustrated  those  everlasting  principles  which 
alone  would  guide  the  nation  throughout  the  impending  crises.  Al- 
though their  names  are  unknown  and  their  methods  very  different, 
their  aims  and  influence  were  the  same  as  those  of  Amos,  Hosea,  and 
Isaiah,  who  presented  their  God-given  messages  to  their  contemporaries 
by  the  spoken  address  rather  than  by  the  pen. 

2.  The  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

The  parallel  homogeneous  narratives  are  conventionally  known  as 

the  Elohistic  prophetic , the  title  Elohistic  representing  the  fact  that  in 

all  the  stories  antecedent  to  the  account  of  the  divine  revelation  to 

Moses,  recorded  in  Exodus  3,  the  Deity  is  designated  by  the  name 

Elohim  (God).  The  same  usage,  however,  appears  in  another  group  of 

narratives,  and  in  the  passages  following  Exodus  3 the  name  Jehovah 

is  prevailingly  used.  The  term  Elohistic,  therefore,  is  not  entirely  dis- 

tinctive and  is  also  subject  to  the  additional  objection  of  not  being 

37 


Date  of 
the  adds 
tions 


Origin 
of  the 
name 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Scope 
and  con- 
tents 


Purpose 


readily  understood.  A more  fundamentally  characteristic  and  felici- 
tous designation  is  suggested  by  the  fact  that  the  interest  in  these  narra- 
tives centres  in  the  northern  kingdom.  Hebron  is  ignored,  but  the 
northern  shrines.  Bethel  and  Shechem,  are  especially  prominent.  In 
the  Joseph  stories  Reuben,  not  Judah,  is  the  leader.  The  Ephraimite 
hero,  Joshua,  is  represented  as  the  successor  of  Moses  and  the  leader 
of  all  the  tribes  in  the  conquest  of  Canaan.  In  the  hill  country  of 
Ephraim  he  assembles  them  for  his  farewell  address  (Josh.  24). 
Especial  attention  is  also  given  to  Joseph,  the  traditional  ancestor  of 
Ephraim,  and  to  the  Joseph  tribes.  By  general  consent  these  narra- 
tives are,  therefore,  traced  to  the  northern  kingdom.  The  name 
Ephraim,  by  which  its  greatest  prophet,  Hosea,  constantly  addressed 
northern  Israel  (Hos.  417,  53,  Bi  9|  u'14,  64,  etc.),  furnishes  a distinctive 
and  appropriate  title  for  the  stories  which  represent  the  activity  and 
teachings  of  the  early  prophets  of  the  north. 

The  Ephraimite  prophetic  narratives  open  with  the  divine  promise 
and  covenant  with  Abraham  in  Genesis  15.  Subsequent  references 
(Gen.  2013,  Josh.  242)  suggest  that  they  originally  began  with  the  an- 
cestry of  the  patriarch  in  Aram;  but  there  is  no  evidence  that,  like  the 
Judean,  they  included  an  introductory  survey  of  universal  history. 
Throughout  the  remainder  of  Genesis  and  succeeding  books,  probably 
even  to  the  Elisha  stories  in  II  Kings,  the  Ephraimite  strand  runs  par- 
allel to  the  Judean  (cf.  Table  of  Contents,  second  column).  Regarding 
the  more  important  events  each  has  its  distinct  version.  When  these  are 
very  similar,  the  Judean  is  usually  quoted  more  fully,  with  the  result 
that  the  Ephraimite  account  is  often  curtailed.  Hence,  of  the  four  dis- 
tinct groups  of  narratives  in  the  Old  Testament,  this  is  by  far  the  most 
fragmentary.  It  has,  however,  in  addition  to  the  parallels,  many  inci- 
dents peculiar  to  itself,  such  as  the  sacrifice  of  Isaac  (Gen.  22,  § 23), 
the  making  of  the  golden  calf  at  Sinai  (Ex.  32,  § 78),  and  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  seventy  elders  (Num.  II16,  17,  25'30,  § 82). 

In  the  Ephraimite  narratives  the  didactic  and  religious  motives  are 
most  prominent.  Interest  is  focused  on  the  ideal  theocracy  rather  than 
on  the  nation.  The  history  is  concerned  not  so  much  with  events  as 
with  the  divinely  chosen  leaders  who  are  instrumental  in  realizing 
God’s  purpose  in  the  life  of  his  people.  The  prophets  and  their  work 
overshadow  that  of  the  secular  rulers  and  the  priests.  Even  Abraham 
and  Moses  are  styled  prophets,,  and  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Joseph  on  the 
threshold  of  death  are  granted  visions  regarding  the  future  of  their 
descendants  (Gen.  27,  48,  5025).  The  victories  and  achievements  of 
the  theocratic  people  are  attained  not  so  much  by  human  effort  and 
natural  means  (as  in  the  Judean),  but  by  divine  interposition.  Their 
acts  of  apostasy,  on  the  other  hand,  are  punished  by  overwhelming  dis- 
aster. The  chief  purpose  which  actuated  the  Ephraimite  writers, 
therefore,  appears  to  have  been  to  show  how,  by  submission  to  God’s 
rule  and  to  the  counsels  of  his  theocratic  representatives,  the  prophets, 
Israel  in  the  past  enjoyed  peace,  prosperity,  and,  above  all,  the  happy 

38 


THE  EPHRAIMITE  PROPHETIC  NARRATIVES 


assurance  of  divine  favor,  and  that,  when  they  rebelled,  disaster  speedily 
overtook  them.  The  whole  is  an  instructive  retrospect,  of  which  the 
farewell  address  of  Joshua,  in  Joshua  24,  is  a worthy  epitome.  It  is 
also  a prophetic  retrospect  with  an  intensely  practical  application  to 
the  present  and  the  future. 

While  the  analogies  between  the  two  groups  of  narratives,  both  of 
which  came  from  schools  of  prophets  not  far  removed  from  each  other 
in  place  and  time,  and  which  utilize  common  traditions,  are  many  and 
close,  yet  the  characteristic  points  of  difference  are  none  the  less  strik- 
ing. In  the  Ephraimite,  Horeb  or  the  mountain  is  used  instead  of  Sinai, 
Amorites  instead  of  Canaanites,  and  Jacob  instead  of  Israel.  (For  lin- 
guistic peculiarities,  cf.  Table  of  Words  and  Expressions  Peculiar  to 
the  Different  Narratives,  Appendix  II.) 

The  picturesque  anthropomorphisms  of  the  Judean  narratives  are 
almost  entirely  absent;  instead  God  reveals  himself  usually  in  dreams 
or  through  his  angelic  Messenger.  The  visit  of  the  Deity  to  the  tent 
of  Abraham  and  the  story  of  the  wrestling  at  Penuel  are  wanting.  Only 
to  the  great  prophet  Moses  does  he  reveal  himself  face  to  face  (Ex. 
S311).  Ordinarily  his  Messenger  goes  before  to  lead  the  host  of  Israel 
(Ex.  1419).  In  the  thick  darkness  of  the  mountain,  and  later,  when  he 
descends  in  the  pillar  of  cloud  at  the  entrance  of  the  tent  of  meeting, 
God  delivers  his  commands  directly  to  his  people.  Front  the  first,  and 
ever  more  prominently,  his  prophetic  spokesmen  stand  before  the  na- 
tion as  the  recipients  of  his  messages  and  as  his  heralds  to  the  people. 

The  Ephraimite  prophets  proclaim  the  fact  that  divine  revelation  in 
the  past  was  progressive,  corresponding  to  the  awakening  consciousness 
of  those  who  received  it.  In  distinction  from  the  Judean  historians,  who 
assume  that  Jehovah  was  worshipped  long  before  the  flood  (Gen.  426), 
they  state  repeatedly  that  the  ancestors  of  the  Hebrews  were  idolaters 
in  Aram  (e.  g..  Josh.  242),  and  even  report  that  Rachel  stole  her  father’s 
family  idols  to  bear  them  to  her  new  home  (Gen.  3119).  Abraham,  how- 
ever, is  represented  as  the  worshipper  of  the  one  God,  whose  prophet  he 
is  (Gen.  207).  Conforming  to  the  divine  command,  Jacob  directed  his 
household  to  put  away  the  foreign  gods  that  were  among  them  (352),  as 
he  returned  to  Bethel,  the  scene  of  God’s  former  revelation  to  him. 
The  final  stage  in  the  revelation  is  recorded  in  Exodus  315,  where  God 
makes  himself  known  to  Moses  as  Jehovah. 

Their  more  spiritual  and,  on  the  whole,  more  exalted  conceptions  of 
the  Deity,  led  the  Ephraimite  writers  to  purge  the  ancient  stories  of 
everything  which  reflected  unfavorably  upon  the  characters  of  their 
prophetic  heroes.  Thus,  for  example,  Abraham  does  not  expel  Hagar 
until  he  receives  a divine  command  to  do  so  (Gen.  2112)  ; in  the  story  of 
the  deception  regarding  the  wife,  Abraham  does  not  utter  a falsehood, 
because  Sarah  is  indeed  his  sister ; and  God’s  intervention,  not  Jacob’s 
questionable  shrewdness,  gives  the  patriarch  success  in  his  contest  with 
Laban. 

These  evidences  of  more  advanced  ethical  standards  and  maturer 

39 


General 

charac- 

teristics 


Concep- 
tions of 
the 
Deity 


Pro- 

gressive 

revela- 

tion 


Ethical 

stand- 

ards 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Date  of  conceptions  of  the  divine  character  and  methods  of  revelation  point 
tion  clearly  to  a somewhat  later  date  than  the  Judean  narratives.  The  old, 
naive,  poetic  forms  of  expression  have  begun  to  disappear  as  the  result 
of  theological  reflection.  Half  a century  or  a century  of  progressive 
revelation  lies  between  the  two  main  prophetic  narratives.  The  lan- 
guage, the  deep  spirituality,  the  peculiar  attitude  toward  the  monarchy, 
and  the  evangelical  purpose  which  characterize  the  Ephraimite,  are 
shared  in  common  with  Amos  and  Hosea.  The  period  in  which  they 
were  written  appears  to  have  been  one  of  national  prosperity.  The 
dreams  of  Joseph,  the  Blessing  of  Moses  in  Deuteronomy  33,  and 
the  predictions  of  Balaam  in  Numbers  23,  reflect  the  victories  of 
Israel  and  the  exalted  rule  of  the  house  of  Joseph.  These  national 
expectations  were  realized  as  never  before  or  after  in  the  long,  prosper- 
ous reign  of  Jeroboam  II.  (781-740  b.c.).  The  covenant  between 
Jacob  and  Laban  reflects  the  peace  between  northern  Israel  and  her 
fallen  foe,  Aram,  which  was  first  firmly  established  during  the  earlier 
part  of  that  reign.  The  holy  places,  such  as  Bethel  and  Shechem,  and 
the  sacred  pillars  (e.  g.,  §§  31,  42)  are  still  regarded  as  legitimate,  but 
stories,  like  that  of  the  golden  calf  in  Exodus  32,  indicate  that  the  rep- 
resentation of  the  Deity  by  images  was  already  condemned.  Thus  all 
the  data  point  to  the  middle  of  the  eighth  century  b.c.  as  the  period  in 
which  the  main  collection  of  northern  Israel’s  traditions  (technically 
designated  as  E)  was  made. 

Later  Like  the  Judean,  the  Ephraimite  narratives  are  clearly  not  all  from 
tions  one  writer  or  age.  The  influences  which  gave  rise  to  the  first  collec- 
tion continued  to  operate  during  the  next  century.  The  northern  king- 
dom fell  in  722  b.c.  before  Assyria,  so  that  the  work  of  revising  and 
supplementing  the  Ephraimite  narratives  seems  to  have  fallen  to  the 
prophets  of  the  south.  The  character  of  the  additions  (which  are 
technically  represented  by  Es  or  E2,  E3)  favors  this  conclusion.  Less 
sympathy  is  shown  with  the  sanctuaries  of  the  north,  and  the  prophetic 
gift  is  extended  and  given  still  greater  prominence  (cf.  Num.  11,  12, 
§§  82,  83).  It  is  impossible  to  date  the  later  Ephraimite  sections  with 
assurance.  They  probably  come  from  the  first  half  of  the  seventh 
century,  when  the  prophets,  suppressed  in  public,  worked  in  private, 
preparing  the  way  for  the  reformation  of  Josiah,  which  reinstated  them 
and  the  prophetic  teachings  regarding  Jehovah. 

Union  of  To  the  same  school  of  prophets  is  probably  due  the  close  fusion  of 

dean  the  two  great  prophetic  groups  of  narratives.  The  combination  may 
Ephra-  be  traced  to  the  fact  that  after  the  fall  of  northern  Israel  its  traditions, 
prophet-  like  the  prophecy  of  the  Ephraimite,  Hosea,  became  the  possession  of 
tivesrr<l  the  southern  prophets.  The  religious  value  of  the  Ephraimite  narra- 
tives was  recognized,  but  the  variations  from  the  Judean  hindered 
their  practical  use.  The  motive  in  combining  the  two  was  doubtless  the 
same  as  that  which  influenced  Tatian  to  unite  the  four  gospels.  The 
books  of  Chronicles  present  a somewhat  similar  example  of  the  fusion 
of  an  older  written  source  (Sam.-Kgs.)  with  later  versions  of  the  samt 

40 


THE  EPHRAIMITE  PROPHETIC  NARRATIVES 


traditions  (cf.  vol.  II.  in  loco).  Whether  the  combination  was  made 
at  one  time  and  by  one  hand  or  gradually  cannot  be  definitely  deter- 
mined. From  the  finished  product  it  is,  however,  possible  to  ascertain 
the  process  to  which  in  the  providence  of  God  is  due  the  preservation  in 
their  original  language  of  the  oldest  literary  records  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. 

Ordinarily,  if  the  versions  are  closely  parallel,  they  are  amalgamated, 
passages  being  taken  in  turn  from  each  and  combined,  as  in  Tatian’s 
Diatessaron,  so  as  to  give  a connected,  continuous  narrative,  containing 
all  the  known  facts.  Only  identical  statements  or  those  which  were 
glaringly  contradictory  were  omitted.  Usually  the  Judean  is  followed 
more  closely,  as  might  be  anticipated,  since  the  editor  or  editors  lived  in 
the  South,  but  there  were  many  exceptions  to  this  rule,  especially  when 
the  Ephraimite  version  was  fuller  or  illustrated  some  important  re- 
ligious teaching.  The  surprising  fact  is  that,  when  a composite  story 
has  been  analyzed,  the  two  resulting  versions  are  usually  nearly  com- 
plete. The  relative  completeness  of  each  of  the  great  groups  of  narra- 
tives also  shows  clearly  that  those  who  combined  them  felt  a deep  rever- 
ence for  their  subject-matter  and  were  eager  that  nothing  of  real  value 
should  be  lost.  Illustrations  of  this  type  of  union  are  the  blessing  of 
Jacob  and  his  departure  for  Aram,  § 30,  or  Joseph’s  disclosure  of  his 
identity,  § 53.  In  combining,  the  editor  sometimes  uses  one  name  of 
the  Deity,  where  the  language  and  ideas  indicate  that  the  source  from 
which  the  quotation  was  taken  employed  the  other.  At  other  times  he 
epitomizes  the  original  story,  or  else  adds  a few  words  for  the  purpose 
of  harmonizing  the  two  versions. 

Sometimes  the  editor  introduces  but  one  of  two  original  accounts  and 
ignores  the  other.  Thus  the  Ephraimite  account  of  Abraham’s  migra- 
tion from  Aram,  referred  to  in  Genesis  2013,  is  set  aside  in  favor  of  the 
Judean  version  in  121"4*.  In  other  cases  two  parallels  are  given  entirely 
different  settings,  as,  for  example,  the  two  accounts  of  the  expulsion  of 
Hagar  in  Genesis  16  and  21,  or  of  Moses’s  smiting  of  the  rock  at  Meri- 
bah  in  Exodus  171'7  and  Numbers  20  (§  88).  Also  in  the  process  of 
combination,  verses,  and  even  sections,  were  sometimes  transposed  or 
assigned  to  a different  position  in  harmony  with  the  editor’s  conception 
of  the  order  of  events. 

The  evidence  is  not  conclusive,  but  it  favors  the  probability  that  the 
author  of  the  introductions  to  the  book  of  Deuteronomy  was  acquainted 
with  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  narratives  in  their  combined  form. 
Other  indications  suggest  that  the  work  of  writing  them  was  certainly 
complete  before  the  Babylonian  exile.  It  appears  to  have  been  a part 
of  that  signal  prophetic  and  literary  activity  which  centred  about  the 
reformation  of  Josiah.  It  may,  therefore,  be  dated  between  650  and 
621  b.c.  Probably  not  at  once,  but  before  long  it  largely  superseded 
the  originally  independent  versions  of  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  nar- 
ratives (cf.,  however,  p.  46). 


Fusion 
of  two 
parallel 
versions 


Substi- 

tutions 

and 

transpo 

sitions 


Date  of 

the 

fusion 


41 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Charac- 
teristics 
and  date 


Deutero- 
nomic  or 
late  pro- 
phetic 
editorial 
activity 


In  Josh- 
ua and 
Judges 


3.  The  Late  Prophetic  or  Deuteronomic  Narratives 

It  is  now  generally  recognized  that  from  the  same  period  came  the 
reformulation  and  readaptation  of  Israel’s  laws  to  new  conditions, 
which  constitute  the  body  of  the  book  of  Deuteronomy  (cf.  vol.  IV., 
Introd.).  This  appears  to  have  included  Deuteronomy  5-26,  281'46. 
Chapters  5-11  contain  a hortatory  introduction  to  the  laws  which  fol- 
low. The  superscription  to  this  original  book  of  the  covenant,  which 
was  probably  substantially  identical  with  the  law  book  found  in  the 
temple  and  accepted  by  Josiah  in  behalf  of  the  people,  is  found  in 
445,  46_  xhe  prospect  0f  the  experiences  of  the  Israelites  in  their  jour- 
neying from  Horeb  to  the  plains  of  Moab  in  l6-329  is  the  logical,  if  not 
the  original  sequel  of  the  account  of  the  sin  at  Horeb  in  925-10u.  The 
language  indicates  that  this  retrospect  is  from  the  same  school  of 
writers  as  the  rest  of  Deuteronomy,  but  there  are  fundamental  differ- 
ences in  the  representation  regarding  the  history,  which  indicate  that 
they  cannot  be  from  the  same  author  or  date  ( cf.,  e.  g.,  I35,  36,  214'16  with 
53,  ll2'7).  They  are  based  upon  the  prophetic  narratives  in  Exodus 
and  Numbers,  the  Ephraimite  being  followed  almost  exclusively. 
Their  exact  date  and  origin  is  still  in  doubt.  Their  connection  with  the 
rest  of  Deuteronomy,  as  has  been  noted,  is  not  close.  The  retrospect 
appears  to  be  a product  of  that  late  prophetic  motive  which  produced 
the  similar  reviews  found  in  the  later  Ephraimite  narratives  (cf.  p.  40). 
It  may  be  dated  approximately  about  550  b.c.,  when  in  the  enforced 
leisure  of  the  Babylonian  exile  the  religious  teachers  of  the  Israelitish 
race  drew  from  their  past  history  those  lessons  and  messages  of  encour- 
agement which  guided  them  through  doubts  and  temptations  to  the 
destiny  awaiting  them. 

To  the  same  school  of  writers  are  due  many  additions  to  the  combined 
Judean-Ephraimite  history.  In  Genesis,  Exodus,  and  Numbers  these 
consist  simply  of  occasional  verses.  The  great  work  of  this  Deutero- 
nomic or  late  prophetic  school  was  the  union  of  Deuteronomy  with  the 
older  prophetic  narratives  which  we  now  find  in  the  preceding  books. 
It  was  a part  of  the  greater  task  of  collecting,  arranging,  and  combin- 
ing the  earlier  writings  of  their  race  which  commanded  the  attention  of 
a devoted  body  of  prophets  during  the  Babylonian  exile.  Since  they 
constantly  employ  the  expressions  and  emphasize  the  ideas  peculiar  to 
Deuteronomy,  they  are  technically  called  the  Deuteronomic  editors  (and 
are  represented  by  Ra).  The  designation  late  'prophetic  distinguishes 
their  work  from  that  of  the  early  and  later  Judean  and  Ephraimite 
writers. 

The  present  arrangement  of  Joshua,  Judges,  and  Samuel-Kmgs  is 
chiefly  due  to  them.  The  introduction  in  Joshua  1 and  the  resumes 
( e . g.,  in  12)  are  from  a late  prophetic  editor,  as  well  as  many  explana- 
tory and  hortatory  passages  scattered  throughout  the  first  part  of  the 
book.  In  Judges  the  late  prophetic  introduction  to  the  Deuteronomic 
edition  of  that  book  is  found  in  26-36.  The  framework,  into  which  the 

42 


THE  LATE  PRIESTLY  NARRATIVES 


older  stories  of  Israel’s  champions  are  fitted,  is  also  from  the  same 
editor.  The  work  of  these  late  prophetic  writers,  who,  like  the 
Ephraimite,  were  interested,  not  in  the  monarchy  nor  in  Israel’s  history 
as  such,  but  in  the  realization  of  the  ideal  theocracy  in  which  Jehovah’s 
will  should  rule  supreme,  is  also  traceable  throughout  Samuel-Kings. 

4.  The  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

The  intense  and  fruitful  activity  of  the  prophets  during  the  exile  was  Origin 
equalled  by  that  of  the  priests.  For  the  majority  of  those  whose  an-  name 
cestors  were  carried  to  Babylon  the  exile  did  not  end  until  Nehemiah 
by  his  devoted  patriotism  rebuilt  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  and  funda- 
mentally reconstructed  the  Jewish  community  in  Palestine,  making  pos- 
sible the  great  reformation  of  400  b.c.,  like  that  of  Josiah  two  centuries 
before,  sealed  by  the  solemn  acceptance  of  the  regulations  laid  down  in 
the  new  law  book.  That  new  law  book,  brought  by  Ezra  from  Baby- 
lonia, represented  the  adaptation  of  the  older  institutions,  trace- 
able to  the  age  of  Moses,  to  the  entirely  new  conditions  and  conceptions 
introduced  by  the  Babylonian  exile  (cf.  vol.  IV.,  Introd.).  Like  the 
authors  of  the  Deuteronomic  code,  they  also  in  time  provided  it  with 
an  historical  introduction,  which  gave  the  traditional  setting  of  the  laws 
as  a whole  and  their  conceptions  of  the  origin  of  the  priestly  institu- 
tions. The  simple  designation  priestly  narratives  (technically  repre- 
sented by  P)  distinguishes  these  from  the  earlier  prophetic. 

The  priestly  history  begins  with  the  later  account  of  the  creation  Scope 
(Gen.  l1-24a)  which  in  turn  gives  the  traditional  origin  of  the  institu-  team0 
tion  of  the  sabbath.  This  is  connected  by  means  of  the  genealogical 
list  in  Genesis  5 with  the  priestly  version  of  the  flood-story,  which  in- 
troduces the  new  covenant  symbolized  by  the  rainbow  (91'17)-  The 
patriarchal  history  is  told  in  bare  outlines,  the  narrative  is  expanded 
to  give  the  detailed  account  of  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  which  in 
turn  represented  the  traditional  origin  of  the  institution  of  circum- 
cision (Gen.  17).  The  brief  record  of  the  oppression  in  Egypt  cul- 
minates in  the  revelation  to  Moses  of  the  divine  name,  Jehovah,  re- 
counted in  Exodus  6.  The  wonders  whereby  Jehovah  convinced 
Pharaoh  of  his  omnipotence  and  the  miraculous  deliverance  from  Egypt 
are  presented  in  a homogeneous,  continuous  narrative.  The  zenith  of 
the  priestly  history  is  reached  in  the  revelation  at  Sinai  which  furnishes 
the  setting  for  all  the  priestly  laws  found  in  Exodus,  Leviticus,  and 
Numbers.  In  the  brief  outline  of  the  wilderness  wandering,  and  there- 
fore associated  with  Moses,  is  given  the  priestly  origin  of  certain  in- 
stitutions, such  as  the  law  of  the  distribution  of  the  spoils  of  war  (Num. 

31).  The  conclusion  of  the  priestly  narratives  is  found  in  the  second 
half  of  Joshua  and  tells  in  detail  of  the  conquest  and  allotment  of  the 
land  of  Canaan  among  the  Hebrew  tribes.  Beyond  that  point  the  orig- 
inal priestly  narratives  did  not  go.  Only  rare  cases  of  priestly  editorial 
activity  can  be  discovered  in  the  subsequent  books.  From  the  same 

43 


Purpose 


Varia- 
tions in 
repre- 
senta- 
tion due 
to  the 
Jewish, 
priestly 
point  of 
view 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 

general  point  of  view,  but  from  a still  later  date,  the  books  of  Chronicles 
carry  on  the  history  of  the  priestly  institutions. 

Poetry,  thrilling  narratives,  and  national  achievement  have  no  at- 
tractions for  the  priestly  narrators.  The  monarchy  of  the  Judean  and 
the  ideal  theocracy  of  the  Ephraimite  prophets  had  each  yielded  their 
place  to  the  hierocracy,  which,  in  the  days  of  Ezra  and  later,  ceased  to 
be  a dream  and  became  a reality.  The  chief  purpose  of  the  priestly 
writers  was  to  trace  the  origin  of  the  institutions  that  constituted  the 
corner-stones  of  that  hierocracy  which  they  regarded,  in  common  with 
later  Judaism,  as  the  goal  and  complete  fulfilment  of  the  divine  pur- 
pose. 

The  commanding  personality  of  Moses,  great  in  reality  and  so  repre- 
sented in  the  oldest  prophetic  narratives,  assumes  in  the  priestly  still 
more  Titanic  proportions  and  overshadows  all  antiquity.  Abraham, 
Joseph,  and  Joshua  are  insignificant  beside  him.  With  the  exception 
of  the  sabbath  and  circumcision,  all  of  Israel’s  laws  and  institutions, 
from  the  earliest  to  the  latest,  are  traced  directly  to  him.  Viewed 
through  the  medium  of  the  seven  or  eight  intervening  centuries,  events, 
as  well  as  the  actors,  in  that  primitive  period  are  magnified.  A detailed 
comparison  between  the  older  and  later  versions  of  the  same  traditions 
shows  that  in  many  cases  the  simple,  natural  representation  of  the  earlier 
narratives  has  been  replaced  by  a story  abounding  in  the  supernatural. 
The  numbers  mount  from  hundreds  to  thousands;  thus,  for  example, 
instead  of  the  constant  sense  of  want,  which  characterizes  the  oldest 
stories  regarding  the  wilderness  period,  the  Israelites  are  required  to 
offer  at  each  passover  two  hundred  thousand  male  lambs  of  the  first 
year.  It  is  needless  to  multiply  examples.  The  exaggerations  and 
inconsistencies,  which  are  characteristic  of  these  narrations,  have  often 
been  held  up  for  derision  by  hostile  critics  of  the  Bible.  To  deny  their 
existence  is  as  futile  as  it  is  unnecessary,  when  their  real  place  in  the 
literary  history  of  the  Old  Testament  is  understood.  The  Babylonian 
exile  severed  the  vital  connection  with  Israel’s  past.  At  the  same  time 
the  harsh,  unnatural  conditions  amidst  which  the  Jews  found  themselves 
led  them,  unconsciously  and  inevitably  to  idealize  that  past.  They  pro- 
jected their  ambitions  and  aspirations  backward  as  well  as  forward. 
Like  the  author  of  the  books  of  Chronicles,  they  also  soon  believed  in 
all  sincerity  that  the  ceremonial  institutions,  which  in  their  own  day 
they  cherished  so  dearly,  originated  at  the  beginning  of  their  national 
history;  although,  if  they  had  read  their  earlier  records  carefully,  they 
would  have  been  confronted  with  a vast  array  of  proof  that  their  cus- 
toms and  laws  had  unfolded  gradually.  Like  most  of  the  teachers  of 
later  Judaism,  they  were  not,  however,  critical  historians,  but  devoted 
lovers  of  the  law  and  ritual.  The  traditions  current  in  their  day  ap- 
pealed to  them  far  more  strongly  and  were  held  to  be  more  authoritative 
than  the  ancient  prophetic  narratives.  The  charge  which  Jesus 
brought  against  the  apostles  of  the  legalism  in  his  day  was  that  they 
treasured  the  traditions  of  the  fathers  above  the  law  of  Moses.  The 


44 


THE  LATE  PRIESTLY  NARRATIVES 


exaggerations  and  inconsistencies,  therefore,  are  but  the  natural  result 
of  the  wide  difference  in  time  and  point  of  view  between  the  pre-exilic 
prophets  and  the  post-exilic  priests. 

Many  other  equally  striking  characteristics  are  clearly  discernible, 
so  that  it  is  usually  possible  almost  at  a glance  to  distinguish  the  priestly 
sections.  In  contrast  to  the  vivid,  flowing  style  of  the  prophetic  nar- 
ratives, the  language  is  formal,  exact,  and  repetitious.  Certain  juristic 
formulas  frequently  recur,  as  is  well  illustrated  by  the  first  and  fifth 
chapters  of  Genesis,  where  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  verses  are  prac- 
tical repetitions.  The  vocabulary  is  not  large  and  contains  a great 
number  of  characteristic  words,  which  are  constantly  employed  (cf. 
Table  of  Words  and  Expressions  Peculiar  to  the  Different  Narratives, 
Appendix  II.).  Before  the  revelation  to  Moses,  recorded  in  Exodus 
62,  3,  Elohim  ( God ) is  consistently  used  as  the  name  of  the  Deity,  but 
afterward  Jehovah  (Yahweh ).  Sinai  is  the  designation  of  the  sacred 
mount.  Great  interest  is  shown  in  details  and  statistics.  They  contain 
a carefully  worked  out  system  of  chronology  and  date  each  important 
event.  Long  genealogical  tables  abound.  Attention  is  also  centred 
upon  the  prerogatives  and  duties  of  the  Aaronic  priests,  who,  as  in  the 
post-exilic  Jewish  state,  take  the  place  of  the  secular  leaders  in  the 
Judean  and  of  the  prophets  in  the  Ephraimite  narratives.  The  later 
distinction — which  is  unknown  to  the  early  prophetic  sources — between 
the  priests,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  and  the  Levites  is  carefully  maintained. 

Still  more  fundamentally  characteristic  of  the  priestly  narratives  is 
their  conception  of  the  Deity.  The  primitive  anthropomorphic  ex- 
pressions are  carefully  avoided,  for  the  fact  that  God  is  a spirit  is 
never  forgotten  by  these  later  Jewish  theologians.  At  Sinai  his  glory, 
the  reflection  and  symbol  of  his  complete  personality,  appears;  but  it 
is  veiled  in  a cloud  and  surrounded  by  impenetrable  mystery  (Ex.  l610, 
Num.  915'17).  God  is  also  conceived  of  as  the  omnipotent  Ruler  of  the 
universe,  whose  fiat,  as  at  the  creation,  is  executed  as  soon  as  it  is 
uttered.  So  prominent  is  this  idea  of  Jehovah’s  omnipotence  that  the 
natural,  mediating  processes  by  which  he  ordinarily  accomplishes  his 
ends  are  almost  entirely  ignored.  This  fact,  doubtless,  in  part  explains 
why  the  supernatural  figures  so  prominently  in  the  priestly  versions  of 
Israel’s  traditions.  The  majestic  doctrines  of  the  priestly  theologians 
sometimes  led  them  far  afield  from  the  paths  of  reality  marked  out  by 
the  prophetic  historians. 

The  inevitable  tendency  to  idealize  the  early  saints  also  led  them  to 
omit  all  references  to  their  moral  delinquencies.  Jacob  does  not  flee  as 
a fugitive  from  the  consequences  of  his  own  deceptions,  but  in  response 
to  the  demands  of  filial  piety  departs  in  peace  with  his  father’s  blessing 
to  seek  a wife  in  Aram  (Gen.  281"9,  § 30).  Of  the  apostasy  of  the 
Israelites  at  Sinai  in  connection  with  the  golden  calf  the  priestly  nar- 
ratives say  nothing.  Even  the  sin  of  Moses  at  Meribah  has  been  so  ob- 
scured that  it  is  impossible  to  determine  its  character  (§  88).  Thus  at 
every  point  their  advanced  moral  standards  are  revealed. 

45 


General 

charac- 

teristics 


Theolog 
ical  con- 
ceptions 


Ethical 

stand- 

ards 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Oripn  The  basis  of  the  priestly  is  the  early  Judean  narratives.  A com- 
history  parison  of  the  different  versions  of  the  individual  stories  discloses  in 
almost  every  case  close  parallels  between  these  and  wide  variations 
from  the  Ephraimite,  which  in  turn  are  followed  by  the  late  prophetic. 
It  was  perfectly  natural  that  the  later  Jewish  writers  should  follow  the 
southern  traditions  rather  than  the  northern.  Moreover,  the  prom- 
inence accredited  to  the  prophets  in  the  Ephraimite  narratives  was  anti- 
thetic to  the  priestly  point  of  view.  Like  the  author  of  the  Fourth 
Gospel,  who  assumes  the  facts  presented  in  the  first  three,  the  priestly 
narrators  appear  to  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  their  readers  were 
acquainted  with  the  Judean  history.  In  a few  instances  they  record 
traditions  which  are  unknown  to  the  earlier  sources.  As  illustrations 
might  be  cited  the  purchase  of  the  cave  of  Machpelah  (Gen.  23,  § 25), 
and  the  war  against  Midian  (Num.  31,  §101).  In  some  cases  their 
character  and  contents  favor  the  conclusion  that  they  originated  in  late 
priestly  circles  and  that  their  purpose  was  to  give  traditional  authority 
to  a given  institution,  as,  for  example,  the  later  distinction  between  the 
Aaronic  priesthood  and  the  Levites  (Num.  16)  ; but  there  is  also  reason 
for  believing  that  the  priestly  narrators  sometimes  preserve  very  old 
traditions. 

place  of  The  records  of  the  Jewish  community  in  Palestine  after  the  rebuild- 
aiUon°  ing  of  the  second  temple  in  516  b.c.  contain  no  references  to  the  writ- 
ing or  existence  of  the  priestly  narratives  until  after  the  appearance 
of  Nehemiah  and  Ezra.  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  the  author  of  Malachi 
appeal  to  the  Deuteronomic  code  as  the  standard  recognized  by  their 
contemporaries.  The  great  reformation  under  the  leadership  of  Nehe- 
miah and  Ezra,  however,  was  in  keeping  with  the  enactments  of  the 
priestly  code.  Subsequent  to  that  event  they  were  regnant  in  Pales- 
tine. The  testimony  of  the  history  and  the  implication  of  the  narrative 
in  Ezra-Nehemiah  which  records  the  reformation  are  that  the  new  code, 
and  therefore  its  historical  introduction  and  setting,  were  prepared  by 
the  Jews  of  Babylon.  This  conclusion  is  confirmed  not  only  by  the  fact 
that  after  586  b.c.  the  most  intelligent  leaders  of  the  Jewish  race  were 
to  be  found  in  exile,  but  also  by  the  character  of  many  of  the  laws  and 
of  that  extreme,  ceremonial  type  of  religion  which  later  Judaism  shared 
with  the  Babylonians.  Certain  stories,  as,  for  example,  that  of  the 
creation  and  flood,  are  also  strikingly  similar,  especially  in  details,  to 
those  which  we  now  know  from  the  testimony  of  the  monuments  were 
current  among  the  Assyrians  and  Babylonians,  while  the  Jewish  exiles 
were  resident  in  the  Tigris-Euphrates  valley.  The  many  variations 
from  the  older  biblical  versions  of  the  same  traditions  are  most  natu- 
rally explained  as  the  result  of  contact  with  Babylonian  ideas.  The 
historical  outlook,  as  illustrated  by  the  priestly  sections  of  Genesis  10, 
is  extended  to  include  the  lands  of  the  dispersion.  The  tendency  to 
idealize  the  early  history  is  also  another  of  the  many  indications  that 
the  priests  who  committed  these  traditions  to  writing  lived  apart  from 
the  direct  current  of  Israel’s  national  life  and  amidst  the  peculiar  en- 

4 6 


THE  LATE  PRIESTLY  NARRATIVES 


vironment  from  which  Nehemiah  and  Ezra  emerged  to  bring  the  new 
law  to  Palestine. 

Traces  of  slightly  different  points  of  view  and  phraseology  indicate 
that  the  priestly  narratives  are  also  from  a school  of  writers  who  wrote 
at  different  dates.  The  story  of  Korah  in  Numbers  16  is  a good  illus- 
tration of  a narrative  current  in  two  distinct  versions  within  the  same 
priestly  circles,  the  one  version  emphasizing  the  distinction  between  the 
priesthood  and  laity,  the  other  between  the  Aaronic  priesthood  and  the 
Levites  (§  93).  The  main  narrative,  which  furnishes  the  continuous 
history  of  the  priest-nation  is  probably  all  from  the  same  date.  It  may 
be  assumed  that  the  historical  introduction  is  later  than  the  specific 
laws  which  it  introduces.  It  appears  that  the  laws  themselves  were  a 
gradual  growth,  slowly  assuming  their  final  form  in  the  two  centuries 
antedating  400  b.c.  (cf.  vol.  IV.,  Introd.).  The  half  century  between 
450  and  400  b.c.  may,  therefore,  be  accepted  as  the  approximate  date 
when  the  majority  of  the  priestly  stories  were  collected  and  united; 
although  it  is  obvious,  as  in  the  case  of  the  other  groups,  that  many  in- 
dividual traditions  come  from  much  earlier  periods.  Additions  and 
minor  emendations  appear  to  have  been  made  for  a century  longer, 
until  the  canon  of  the  law  gradually  assumed  its  fixed  and  final  form. 

The  last  act  in  the  long  process,  which  has  given  us  the  first  eight 
books  of  the  Old  Testament  in  substantially  their  present  order  and 
form,  was  accomplished  by  one  or  more  of  those  later  editors,  whose  work 
is  ordinarily  decried,  but  to  whom  we  doubtless  owe  the  preservation  of 
the  older  traditions.  It  consisted  in  uniting  the  already  combined  pro- 
phetic narratives  with  the  priestly.  Since  it  was  done  some  time — 
probably  not  long — after  the  reformation  of  400  b.c.,  the  one  who 
amalgamated  them  was  most  interested  in  the  priestly.  This  is  clearly 
shown  by  the  fact  that  these  narratives  are  preserved  practically  in 
their  integrity.  Their  order  of  events  also  determines  in  general  the 
present  arrangement  of  the  Old  Testament  stories.  Fortunately  it  was 
based  in  turn  upon  that  of  the  Judean.  Where  there  was  no  priestly 
parallel,  the  older  order  was  doubtless  followed.  References  in  the 
prophetic  narratives  to  traditions  no  longer  extant  indicate  that  at  this 
time  or  earlier  some  were  omitted.  Thus  the  complete  priestly  story  of 
the  creation  probably  takes  the  place  of  the  Judean  version,  of  which 
only  a fragment  remains  in  Genesis  24b"9.  Ordinarily,  however,  the 
priestly  narratives  furnished  simply  an  outline  of  events  into  which  it 
was  easy  to  fit  the  more  detailed  prophetic  stories.  This  latest,  and  in 
many  ways  most  important,  editor  also  manifests  a strong  desire,  like 
his  predecessors,  to  retain  all  his  subject-matter.  Sometimes  he  amal- 
gamates two  versions,  as,  for  example,  those  of  the  flood,  apparently 
omitting  almost  nothing  of  either  (§  8)  ; at  other  times  he  introduces 
the  two  variant  versions  in  sequence  or  gives  them  different  settings, 
unintentionally  or  purposely  ignoring  the  fact  that  they  are  duplicate 
accounts  of  the  same  events. 

The  canonization  of  the  law,  which  included  the  first  five  books 

47 


Date  of 
compo- 
sition 


Combi- 
nation 
of  the 
prophet 
ic  and 
priestly- 
narra- 
tives 


HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL’S  EARLY  RECORDS 


Final 

canoni- 

zation 


Conclu- 

sion 


of  the  Old  Testament,  appears  to  have  taken  place  during  the  cen- 
tury following  Nehemiah’s  great  work,  and  therefore  probably  soon 
after  the  final  union  of  the  prophetic  and  priestly  narratives.  The 
canon  of  the  prophets,  which  included  Joshua  and  Judges,  was  com- 
plete before  the  close  of  another  century.  In  the  light  of  the  few 
facts  that  are  known  and  of  New  Testament  analogies  it  would  seem 
that  this  canonization  was  gradual.  Until  it  was  completed  the  process 
of  minor  editorial  revision  and  expansion  appears  to  have  continued. 
By  200  b.c.,  however,  and  probably  earlier,  the  first  eight  books  of  the 
Bible  were  to  be  found  in  their  present  form. 

This  brief  survey  of  the  growth  of  these  Old  Testament  books  has 
aimed  to  present  the  modern  positive  conclusions  regarding  their  origin. 
It  is  obvious  that  the  difference  between  the  traditional  and  the  modern 
view  simply  concerns  the  details  of  a process.  Both  recognize  that  the 
Bible  is  the  supreme  record  of  God’s  revelation  to  the  human  heart,  and 
that  its  ultimate  value  consists  in  its  ability  to  meet  the  moral  and  re- 
ligious needs  of  mankind.  Both  appreciate  the  divinely  gifted  per- 
sonality and  far-reaching  influence  of  the  great  prophet-leader,  Moses. 
The  older  held,  however,  that  the  Pentateuch  took  form  within  a genera- 
tion and  was  the  work  of  one  man;  the  modern  view  is  that  it  is  the 
gradual  growth  of  nine  or  ten  centuries  and  represents  the  work  of 
many  divinely  inspired  teachers.  The  one  is  the  theory  of  the  later 
Jewish  rabbis,  adopted  and  expanded  by  the  church  fathers  and  crystal- 
lized in  the  creeds  of  many  Christian  churches ; the  other  is  a systematic 
attempt  to  formulate  and  explain  the  hundreds  of  significant  facts  con- 
tained in  the  individual  books  and  presented  by  Israelitish  and  cognate 
history.  Instead  of  being  antithetic,  the  latter  is  but  the  logical  sequel 
to  the  former.  Both  are  based  on  known  data.  As  new  and  important 
facts  were  discovered  in  the  light  of  broader  and  closer  study  and  in 
contemporary  monumental  literature,  it  became  necessary  to  expand 
and  modify  the  old;  the  result  is  the  new — conjectural  at  certain  points 
and  ever  subject  to  revision  as  more  facts  are  disclosed,  but  a practical, 
helpful  working  basis  for  the  intelligent  study  of  Israel’s  priceless 
records. 


48 


THE 

OLD  TESTAMENT 


WORLD. 


Fertile  Land 


Desert 


Arid  Steppe  [_ 


SCALE  OF  MILES. 


CT  AR%  T'JV-l 


^ °T adr 
lamascus 


aavb'°n(Vp 


i"5sh  e ri 


/f-Elath 


THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  HUMAN  HISTORY 


Gen.  I1-!!9 


THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  HUMAN  HISTORY 


I 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  LIFE  AND  SIN,  Gen.  1-3 
§ 1.  The  Priestly  Story  of  Creation,  Gen.  l'-24a 
hate  Priestly  Narratives 

THESE  ARE  THE  GENERATIONS  OF  THE  HEAVENS  AND  OF  THE  EARTH  WHEN 
THEY  WERE  CREATED* 1 2 3, 

Gen.  1 Hn  the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 
2And  the  earth  was  waste  and  void,  and  darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the 
deep  ; and  the  Spirit  of  God  was  brooding  over  the  face  of  the  waters. 

3Then  God  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light.  4And  God 
saw  that  the  light  was  good.  God  caused  the  light  to  separate  from  the 
darkness.  5And  God  called  the  light  Day,  and  the  darkness  he  called 
Night.  And  there  was  evening  and  there  was  morning,  a first  day. 

6Then  God  said,  Let  there  be  a firmament  in  the  midst  of  the  waters, 
and  let  it  divide  the  waters  from  the  waters.  7Thus  God  made  a firma- 
ment, and  caused  the  waters  which  were  under  the  firmament  to  separate 
from  the  waters  which  were  above  the  firmament, b and  it  was  so.  8And 
God  called  the  firmament  Heaven.  And  there  was  evening  and  there 
was  morning,  a second  day. 

9Then  God  said,  Let  the  waters  under  the  heavens  be  gathered 
together  into  one  place,  that  the  dry  land  may  appear.  And  it  was  so. 
10 And  God  also  called  the  dry  land  Earth,  and  the  gathering  together  of 
the  waters  he  called  Sea.  And  God  saw  that  it  was  good.  uMore- 
over  God  said,  Let  the  earth  put  forth  vegetation  : herbs  which  yield 


§ 1 This  majestic  section  fitly  introduces  the  priestly  narratives  which  run  through  the  first 
six  books  of  the  O.T.,  cf.  Introd.  pp.  43-48.  The  evidences  of  its  priestly  origin  are  many  and 
conclusive.  It  uses  God  ( Elohim ) instead  of  the  prophetic  name  Jehovah.  Certain  impressive 
formulas  constantly  recur.  Eight  of  the  thirty-five  verses  are  practical  repetitions.  The  style 
is  precise  and  minute — that  of  a legal  writer  rather  than  of  a prophet.  The  representation  is 
universal  and  generic ; species  and  processes  figure  in  the  stately  narrative  rather  than  individu- 
als and  personal  incidents.  The  material  also  is  systematically  arranged.  Corresponding  to 
the  first  three  days  of  preparation  are  the  three  days  of  fruition: 

1.  Light  and  darkness3- 4.  4.  Heavenly  bodies14*18. 

2.  Firmament  (separating  air  from  water)6*  7.  5.  Birds  and  fishes20*22. 

3.  Land9,10.  Vegetation11-12.  6.  Land  animals24- 2S.  Man26  - 27. 

An  orderly,  progressive  development  is  also  portrayed,  beginning  with  the  lowest  forms  of 
life  and  culminating  in  man.  For  origin  and  Babylonian  parallels  cf.  Appendix  III. 

4 24a  This  passage,  found  in  24a,  has  no  logical  connection  with  the  verses  which  immedi- 
ately follow  in  the  original  context.  It  is  precisely  parallel  to  the  superscriptions  in  5la  and  101, 
which  introduce  respectively  the  generations  of  Adam  and  of  the  sons  of  Noah.  These  and  other 
analogies  suggest  that  it  originally  stood  at  the  head  of  the  generations  of  heaven  and  earth  in  lJ-23. 

b l7  The  following  diagram  illustrates  the  idea  in  this  and  other  passages  in  the  O.T.  which 

51 


Intro- 

duction: 

original 

chaos 


Work  of 
the  first 
day: 
separa- 
tion of 
light 
from 
dark- 
ness 

Second 
day: 
creation 
of  a fir- 
mament 


Third 
day: 
separa- 
tion of 
land  and 
water 
and 
growth 
of  vege- 
tation 


Fourth 
day:  cre- 
ation of 
the 

heaven- 
ly bodies 


Fifth 
day:  cre- 
ation 
of  the 
creat- 
ures of 
the  air 
and 
water 


Gen.  I11]  THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  LIFE  AND  SIN 

seed,  and  fruit-trees  which  bear  fruit  on  the  earth  after  their  kind, 
wherein  is  their  seed.  And  it  was  so.  12Thus  the  earth  brought  forth 
vegetation,  herbs  which  yield  seed  after  their  kind  and  trees  which 
bear  fruit  after  their  kind,  wherein  is  their  seed.  And  God  saw  that  it 
was  good.  13And  there  was  evening  and  there  was  morning,  a third  day. 

14Then  God  said,  Let  there  be  lights  in  the  firmament  of  heaven  to 
distinguish  between  day  and  night.  Let  them  also  be  for  signs,  and  for 
seasons,  and  for  days  and  years ; 15and  let  them  be  lights  in  the  firma- 
ment of  heaven  to  shed  light  upon  the  earth.  And  it  was  so.  16Thus 
God  made  the  two  great  lights : the  greater  to  rule  the  day,  and  the 
lesser  light  to  rule  the  night ; also  the  stars.  17And  God  set  them  in  the 
firmament  of  heaven  to  shed  light  upon  the  earth,  18and  to  rule  over  the 
day  and  over  the  night,  and  to  distinguish  between  light  and  darkness. 
And  God  saw  that  it  was  good.  19 And  there  was  evening  and  there  was 
morning,  a fourth  day. 

20Then  God  said,  Let  the  waters  swarm  with  swarms  of  living  creat- 
ures, and  let  birds  fly  over  the  earth  in  the  open  firmament  of  heaven. 
21Thus  God  created  the  great  sea-monsters,  and  all  living,  moving  creat- 
ures with  which  the  waters  swarm,  after  their  kind,  and  every  winged 
bird  after  its  kind.  And  God  saw  that  it  was  good.  22 And  God  blessed 
them,  saying,  Be  fruitful,  and  become  numerous,  and  fill  the  water  in 
the  sea,  and  let  the  birds  become  numerous  on  the  earth.  23 And  there 
was  evening  and  there  was  morning,  a fifth  day. 

24Then  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  living  creatures  after  their 


reflect  the  prevailing  Semitic  conceptions  of  the  universe.  Cf.  article,  “Cosmogony,”  in  Hast- 
ings’s Dictionary  oj  the  Bible. 

ABODE  OF  GOD 


THE  PRIMITIVE  HEBREW  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  UNIVERSE 

52 


THE  PRIESTLY  STORY  OF  CREATION  [Gen.  I24 

kind  : cattle  and  creeping  things  and  beasts  of  the  earth  after  their  sixth 
kind.  And  it  was  so.  25Thus  God  made  the  beasts  of  the  earth  after  atio'nof " 
their  kind,  and  the  animals  after  their  kind,  and  everything  that  creeps  mafs.am 
upon  the  ground  after  its  kind.  And  God  saw  that  it  was  good.  ImUn- 

26Moreover  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness,  8ects 
that  they  may  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  birds  creation 
of  the  heavens,  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  all  the  beasts  of  the  earth,0  withan 
and  over  all  the  creeping  things  that  creep  upon  the  earth.  27Thus  God  fnteSi- 
created  man  in  his  own  image,  in  the  image  of  God  created  he  him  ; fndwiii, 
male  and  female  created  he  them.  28God  also  blessed  them,  and  said  author* 
to  them,  Be  fruitful,  and  become  numerous,  and  fill  the  earth,  and  sub-  ™ie°s 
due  it ; and  have  dominion  over  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  birds  y^roy 
of  the  heavens,  and  over  every  living  thing  that  creeps  upon  the  earth. 

29God  also  said,  Behold,  I give  to  you  every  herb  yielding  seed,  which  Manana 
is  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth,  and  every  tree,  in  which  is  fruitd  to  beals 
yielding  seed ; it  shall  be  food  for  you.  30 And  to  every  beast  of  the  earth,  orousV 
and  to  every  bird  of  the  heavens,  and  to  everything  that  creeps  on  the 
earth,  wherein  there  is  life,  I give  every  green  herb  for  food.  And  it  was  uni- 
so.  31  And  when  God  saw  everything  that  he  had  made,  behold,  it  was  origfnai- 
very  good.  And  there  was  evening  and  there  was  morning,  a sixth  day.  fecttr 
2 4Thus  the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  finished,  and  all  their  host. 

2When  on  the  seventh  day  God  had  finished  his  work  which  he  had  done.  Seventh 
he  rested  on  the  seventh  day  from  all  his  work  which  he  had  done.  3God  day' rest 
also  blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  hallowed  it ; because  in  it  he  rested 
from  all  his  work  which  he,  God,  had  done  in  the  process  of  creation. 


§2.  The  Primitive  Story  of  Man’s  Creation  and  Fall,  Gen.  24b-3Ji 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  2 4bIn  the  day  that  Jehovahe  made  earth  and  heaven,  5no  plant  Condi- 
of  the  field  was  yet  on  the  earth,  and  no  herb  of  the  field  had  yet  sprung  before 
up,  for  Jehovah  had  not  caused  it  to  rain  upon  the  earth,  and  there  was  Seation 


c l26  So  the  Syr.  version:  also  demanded  by  the  context. 

d l29  Following  the  Gk.,  which  omits  the  unintelligible  phrase  of  a tree,  which  has  crept  into 
the  Heb. 

§ 2 It  has  long  been  recognized  that  Gen.  1 !-24r4  and  24b-25  contain  two  distinct  accounts  of 
creation,  which  differ  widely  in  details  although  in  agreement  regarding  essential  facts.  The  first 
has  the  formal,  exact  style  and  representation  characteristic  of  the  late  priestly  narratives.  Cf. 
Introd.,  pp.  43-47.  The  second  the  picturesque  flowing  style  and  religious  ideas  and  aims  pecul- 
iar to  the  early  Judean  prophetic  stories.  Cf.  Introd.,  pp.,  31-37.  The  Deity  is  here  called  Je- 
hovah and  is  the  God  of  primitive  belief,  who  is  represented  as  forming  man  out  of  the  dust,  as 
conversing  familiarly  with  the  product  of  his  handiwork,  and  as  walking  in  the  garden  in  the  cool 
of  the  day.  With  24b  the  oldest  narrative  in  the  Old  Testament  begins.  This  verse  appears  to 
be  the  remnant  of  a primitive  prophetic  story  of  the  creation  of  the  earth  and  heavens,  for  which 
a later  editor  of  Genesis  has  substituted  the  present  priestly  version.  It  now  opens  the  brief 
account  of  man’s  creation  which  introduces  the  story  of  his  temptation  and  fall.  Both  versions 
of  the  story  of  creation  unite  in  giving  man  the  same  commanding  position,  but  in  the  prophetic, 
the  conception  of  the  method  and  order  of  creation  is  much  more  naive  and  primitive:  vegetation 
first  springs  up  to  supply  his  needs,  after  man  has  been  fashioned  by  the  hand  of  Jehovah. 
Animals  are  still  later  created,  and  last  of  all  woman,  to  anticipate  his  lack  of  a companion 
adapted  to  his  needs  and  character.  At  least  three  centuries  intervene  between  the  diverse 
conceptions  of  creation  reflected  in  the  two  biblical  narratives,  although  they  prooably  repre- 
sent variant  versions  of  the  same  primitive  tradition.  For  Babylonian  parallels  cf . Appendix  IV. 

• 24b  Heb.,  Jehovah  God.  This  double  title  occurs  twenty  times  in  Gen.  24b-324,  but  appears 
nowhere  else  in  the  Pentateuch,  except  in  Ex.  930,  and  is  very  rare  in  the  Old  Testament.  The 
Gk.  translators,  however,  continue  to  use  the  combined  name  through  Gen.  8.  The  second 

53 


Creation 
of  man 


Provi- 
sions for 
his  de- 
velop- 
ment 


Loca- 
tion of 
the  gar- 
den of 
Eden 


His 
social 
needs 
unsatis- 
fied by 
the  crea- 
tion of 
the  low- 
er ani- 
mals 


Creation 
of  wom- 
an as 
man's 
peer  and 
comple- 
ment 


Gen.  25]  THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  LIFE  AND  SIN 

no  man  to  till  the  ground  ; 6but  a mist  used  to  rise  from  the  earth  and 
water  the  whole  face  of  the  ground. 

7Then  Jehovah  formed  man  of  the  dust  of  the  ground  and  breathed 
into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life.  Thus  man  became  a living  being. 

8 And  Jehovah  planted  a garden  in  Eden  far  in  the  East,  and  placed 
there  the  man  whom  he  had  formed.  9 And  out  of  the  ground  Jehovah 
made  to  grow  every  tree  that  is  pleasant  to  the  sight  and  good  for  food, 
the  tree  of  lifef  also  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  and  the  tree  of  the  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil. 

10Now  a river  went  forth  from  Eden  which  watered  the  garden  ; and  thence  it  divided 
into  four  branches.  uThe  name  of  the  first  is  Pishon.  That  is  the  one  which  encircles 
the  whole  land  of  Havilah,  where  there  is  gold  ; 12and  the  gold  of  that  land  is  good ; there 
is  bdellium  and  onyx  stone.  13 And  the  name  of  the  second  river  is  Gihon.  This  is  the 
one  that  encircles  the  whole  land  of  Cush.  uAnd  the  name  of  the  third  river  is  Hiddekel 
[Tigris].  It  is  the  one  which  flows  east  of  Assyria.  And  the  fourth  river  is  Perath  [Eu- 
phrates], 15  And  Jehovah  took  the  man,  and  put  him  in  the  garden  of  Eden  to  till  it  and  to 
guard  it.« 

16 And  Jehovah  commanded  the  man,  saying,  Of  every  tree  of  the 
garden  thou  mayest  freely  eat,  17except  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of 
good  and  evil ; from  it  thou  shalt  not  eat,  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eat- 
est  of  it  thou  shalt  surely  die. 

18Then  said  Jehovah,  It  is  not  good  for  the  man  to  be  alone  ; I will 
make  a help  suited  to  him.  19Therefore  out  of  the  ground  Jehovah 
formed  all  the  beasts  of  the  field  and  all  the  birds  of  the  heavens,  and 
brought  them  to  the  man  to  see  what  he  would  call  them  ; and  whatever 
the  man  called  each  living  creature  that  was  its  name.  20Thus  the  man 
gave  names  to  all  cattle  and  all  the  beasts  of  the  field ; but  for  the  man 
himself  there  was  found  no  help  suited  to  him. 

21Then  Jehovah  caused  a deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  the  man,  so  that  he 
slept ; and  he  took  one  of  his  ribs,  and  closed  up  its  place  with  flesh. 
22But  the  rib,  which  he  had  taken  from  the  man,  Jehovah  fashioned  into 
a woman  and  brought  her  to  the  man.  23Then  said  the  man. 

This,  now,  is  bone  of  my  bone 
And  flesh  of  my  flesh. h 

This  one  shall  be  called  woman,1 
For  from  man  was  she  taken. 


designation  of  the  Deity  (God)  has  been  omitted  throughout  in  the  translation,  because  it  was 
evidently  added  by  an  editor  who  wished  to  make  it  clear  that  the  Jehovah  of  the  prophetic  was 
identical  with  God  of  the  preceding  priestly  narrative.  Moreover  the  double  name  is  not  only 
awkward,  but  also  practically  meaningless. 

1 29  The  tree  of  life  does  not  appear  to  have  been  found  in  the  original  story.  It  is  subse- 
quently referred  to  only  in  the  later  additions  to  the  narrative,  32,  cf.  note1.  In  33  there  is  but 
one  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  and  that  is  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 

g 210-15  These  verses  interrupt  the  sequence  of  thought.  Their  interest  is  arehseological  and 
geographical,  rather  than  ethical,  as  in  the  original  prophetic  narratives.  Vs.16  also  repeats  the 
statement  already  made  in  8b.  Moreover  the  land  of  Assyria  did  not  attain  to  the  prominence 
in  Heb.  thought,  implied  in  14,  until  the  eighth  century  b.c.  The  section  is  apparently  an  ex- 
planatory note  added  by  some  later  prophet  who  aimed  thereby  to  supplement  the  indefinite 
localization  of  the  garden  (8a) . He  also  speaks  of  it  as  the  garden  of  Eden  rather  than  as  a garden 
in  Eden,  as  does  the  original  narrator,  cf.  Introd.,  pp.  36,  37. 

h 223  The  language,  like  that  of  all  the  longer  addresses  of  the  characters  in  the  prophetic 
narratives,  is  poetical,  cf.  Introd.,  p.  16.  Vs.24  may  be  simply  an  observation  or  exhortation 

from  the  author  of  the  passage;  but  its  character  and  relation  to  the  context  suggest  that  he 
also  intended  it  to  be  taken  as  the  saying  of  the  man. 

l 223  This  is  clearly  one  of  those  solemn  paronomasias  or  plays  on  words  which  are  common  in 
the  sections  coming  from  the  early  prophetic  writers,  cf.  Introd.,  p.  32.  Woman  is  called  ishsha 

54 


THE  STORY  OF  MAN’S  CREATION  AND  FALL  [Gen.  224 

24Therefore  a man  leaves  father  and  mother  and  cleaves  to  his  wife,  so 
that  they  two!  become  one  flesh. 

25 And  they  were  both  naked,  the  man  and  his  wife,  yet  felt  no  shame,  cence 

3 4Now  the  serpent  was  more  subtle  than  allk  the  beasts  of  the  field  Fateful 
which  Jehovah  had  made.  And  he  said  to  the  woman.  Hath  God  of  con 
really  said,  ‘ Y e shall  not  eat  from  any  tree  of  the  garden  ? ’  *  2The  woman  IgaSfst 
replied  to  the  serpent,  From  the  fruit  of  al!k  the  trees  of  the  garden  we  ity.'ap- 
may  eat ; 3only  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  gar-  and  tie 
den,  God  hath  said,  ‘Ye  shall  not  eat  from  it,  neither  shall  ye  touch  it,  beauty 
lest  ye  die.’  4Then  said  the  serpent  to  the  woman,  You  shall  not  £nowi- 
surely  die  ; 5for  God  knoweth  that  in  the  day  you  eat  of  it  your  eyes  edge 
shall  be  opened,  and  you  shall  be  like  gods,  knowing  good  and  evil. 

6Now  when  the  woman  saw  that  the  tree  was  good  for  food,  and  at-  Effect  of 
tractive  to  the  sight,  and  desirable  to  make  one  wise,  she  took  of  the  sense  of 
fruit  and  ate,  and  gave  also  to  her  husband  with  her  and-  he  ate.  7Then  andguut 
the  eyes  of  both  of  them  were  opened,  so  that  they  knew  that  they  were 
naked  ; therefore  they  sewed  fig-leaves  together  and  made  themselves 
girdles.  8But  when  they  heard  the  sound  of  the  footsteps  of  Jehovah, 
as  he  was  walking  in  the  garden  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  the  man  and 
his  wife  hid  themselves  from  the  presence  of  Jehovah  among  the  trees 
of  the  garden. 

9 And  Jehovah  called  to  the  man  and  said  to  him,  Where  art  thou  ? Culprits 
10 And  he  said,  I heard  the  sound  of  thy  footsteps  in  the  garden  and  I ered; 
was  afraid,  because  I was  naked ; so  I hid  myself.  nThen  he  said,  Who  weak 
told  thee  that  thou  wast  naked  ? Hast  thou  eaten  from  the  tree  from  6X011868 
which  I commanded  thee  not  to  eat?  12And  the  man  said,  The  woman 
whom  thou  didst  place  beside  me,  she  gave  me  from  the  tree  and  I ate. 
13When  Jehovah  said  to  the  woman,  What  is  this  thou  hast  done  ? the 
woman  replied,  The  serpent  beguiled  me  and  I ate.  14Then  Jehovah  said 
to  the  serpent,  Because  thou  hast  done  this  : 

Cursed  shalt  thou  be  above  all  animals. 

And  above  all  the  beasts  of  the  field. 

On  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go, 

And  dust  shalt  thou  eat, 

All  the  days  of  thy  life. 

15Enmity  will  I set  between  thee  and  the  woman, 

And  between  thy  offspring  and  her  offspring. 

He  shall  bruise  thee  on  the  head. 

And  thou  shalt  wound  him  on  the  heel. 

16To  the  woman  he  said, 

I will  make  thy  pain  great  in  thy  pregnancy, 

With  pain  shalt  thou  bring  forth  children. 

Yet  toward  thy  husband  shall  be  thy  desire, 

And  he  shall  rule  over  thee. 


because  she  was  taken  from  ish  (or  following  the  Sam.  and  Cxk.ishah,  her  husband).  Only  within 
recent  years  have  the  two  roots  been  proven  to  be  etymologically  distinct, 

i 224  Following  the  Gk.,  Syr.,  and  Lat. 

32  So  Gk.  and  Syr. 


Expla- 
nations 
of  pecul- 
iarities 
of  ser- 
pents 


Conse- 

quences 

of 

woman's 
sin : 

pains  as 
mnthp.r 


55 


Gen.  317]  THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  LIFE  AND  SIN 


Conse-  17But  to  the  man  he  said,  Because  thou  hast  hearkened  to  the  voice 
ofraS  of  thy  wife  and  hast  eaten  of  the  tree  concerning  which  I com- 
manded thee,  saying,  ‘Thou  shalt  not  eat  from  it’: 


Weari- 
some 
struggle 
for  ex- 
istence 
with 
death 
as  its 
certain 
end 


Cursed  shall  be  the  ground  because  of  thee, 

By  painful  toil  shalt  thou  eat  from  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life. 
18Thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  for  thee. 

And  thou  shalt  eat  the  herb  of  the  field. 

19By  the  sweat  of  thy  brow  shalt  thou  eat  bread, 

Until  thou  return  to  the  ground. 

Because  from  it  thou  wast  taken  ; 

For  dust  thou  art. 

And  to  dust  shalt  thou  return. 


Divine  23Therefore  Jehovah  sent  him  forth  from  the  garden  of  Eden,  to  till 
smfui°  the  ground  whence  he  was  taken.1 

21But  Jehovah  made  for  the  manm  and  his  wife  tunics  of  skin,  and 
clothed  them. 


Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Man  ex-  3 22 *And  Jehovah  said.  Behold,  the  man  is  become  as  one  of  us,  to  know 
From  good  and  evil ; and  now,  lest  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  take  also  of  the 
test  he  tree  of  life,  and  eat,  and  live  forever.  . . . 24 *And  he  drove  out  the 

!mmor-  man  ; and  he  placed  at  the  east  of  the  garden  of  Eden  the  cherubim,  and  a 
flaming  sword11 7  which  turned  every  way  to  guard  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life. 


l 322,  24  The  closing  verses  of  the  chapter  have  apparently  been  rearranged  and  supplemented 

by  later  revisers.  Vs.  20  breaks  the  close  connection  of  thought  between  Jehovah’s  sentence 

upon  man  and  the  record  of  its  execution  in  2;J.  Furthermore,  the  element  of  motherhood  which 
is  central  in  20  is  not  introduced  until  the  beginning  of  the  next  chapter,  where  the  verse  finds  rU. 

natural  and  probably  original  setting.  Vs.  21  also  introduces  both  man  and  woman,  while  23 

calls  for  a singular  masculine  subject.  This  is  found  in  19,  which  it  logically  follows.  The  dis- 

tinctively prophetic  and  hopeful  element  in  the  story  is  found  in  21 ; God’s  tender  care  follows 
man  and  woman,  providing  practically  for  their  new  needs  as  they  go  forth  into  the  harsh 
environment  in  which  they  are  to  learn  the  lesson  of  obedience,  and  thus  enter  again  into  that 
harmonious  relation  with  Jehovah  which  constituted  the  true  Eden.  With  this  statement  the 
original  story  of  man’s  fall  is  complete  and  consistent.  Man  is  expelled  from  Eden  as  the 
inevitable  consequence  of  his  disobedience.  Vs.22,  however,  introduces  an  entirely  different 
reason.  It  is  lest  man,  if  allowed  to  remain,  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  and  become  immortal.  As 
has  already  been  noted,  the  original  story  does  not  appear  to  have  spoken  of  the  tree  of  life,  cf. 
note  b.  In  the  main  narrative  also,  the  only  effect  of  eating  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge 
of  good  and  evil  is  to  make  the  man  and  his  wife  conscious  of  their  nakedness  and  disobedience, 

7 ■ 8;  but  in  22  it  is  assumed  that  it  makes  man  akin  to  the  gods.  The  verse  seems  to  reflect  the 

belief,  shared  by  many  ancient  peoples — as  is  witnessed  by  the  parallel  Semitic  myths  and  the 
familiar  story  of  Prometheus — that  the  gods  were  fearful  lest  man  should  attain  the  same 
knowledge  and  power  as  themselves.  Its  polytheistic  origin  is  also  strongly  suggested  by  the 
plural,  as  one  of  us.  Vss. 22 • 24 , both  of  which  focus  attention  on  the  tree  of  life,  contain  a second, 
although  fragmentary,  version  of  man’s  expulsion.  The  additional  details  presented  in  24 — 
the  cherubim  and  the  revolving  disc  of  flame — are  also  apparently  drawn  from  the  symbolism  of 
the  old  Semitic  myths.  In  its  origin  this  variant  version  may  well  be  earlier  than  the  longer 
Heb.  story  of  the  garden  in  Eden , but  its  presence  in  the  third  chapter  seems  to  be  due  to  the 
work  of  a later  prophet. 
m 321  Following  the  Gk. 
n 3?*  Heb.,  flame  of  a sword. 


56 


Birth  of 
Seth 


Signifi- 
cation 
of  Eve’s 
name 


Gen.  425]  FOREFATHERS  OF  THE  HUMAN  RACE  [Gen.  5* 

II 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  HUMAN  CIVILIZATION  AND 
MORAL  DEGENERACY,  Gen.  4,  5,  910-27,  61-4 

§3.  Lists  of  the  Traditional  Forefathers  of  the  Human  Race, 

Gen.  425,  320,  426’  '■ 2b’  16»-18,  5 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

THIS  IS  THE  BOOK  OF  THE  GENERATIONS  OF  ADAM 
5 lbIn  the  day  that  God  created  man,  in  the  intro- 
likeness  of  God  made  he  him,2  male  and  fe-  duct,on 
male  created  he  them,  and  called  their  name 
man  in  the  day  when  they  were  created. 

3And  when  Adam  had  lived  a hundred  and  Birth  of 
thirty  years,  he  begat  a son  in  his  own  like- 
ness, after  his  own  image,  and  called  his  name 
Seth.  4And  the  days  of  Adam  after  he  begat 
Seth  were  eight  hundred  years  ; and  he  begat 
sons  and  daughters.  5'{'hus  all  the  days  that 
Adam  lived  were  nine  hundred  and  thirty  years  ; 
then  he  died. 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  4 25Then  Adam 
knew  his  wife  and  she 
conceiveda  and  bore  a 
son  and  called  his  name 
Seth.  For,  said  she, 
God  has  given  me 
another  offspring  instead 
of  Abel,  for  Cain  slew  him. 

3 20The  man  also 
called  his  wife’s  name 
Eve,  because  she  was 
the  mother  of  all  liv- 
ing.b 


§ 3 Gen.  4.  From  time  immemorial  the  difficulties  presented  by  this  chapter  have  been 
recognized,  and  many  solutions  have  been  proposed.  The  story  of  Cain  and  Abel,  found  in  2-16a, 
not  only  leaves  unanswered  the  trite  question  of  where  Cain  got  his  wife,  but  also  assumes  an 
advanced  stage  of  culture.  Abel  represents  the  shepherd  class  and  Cain  the  agriculturists,  who 
were  found  in  later  ages  side  by  side  in  Judah.  The  religious  culture  is  also  not  that  of  the 
primitive  period,  but  of  later  days,  when  the  worship  of  Jehovah  by  means  of  sacrifices  had 
become  common.  The  institution  of  blood-revenge  is  also  established,  and  explains  Cain’s  fear 
of  being  slain  by  anyone  finding  him.  This  and  Jehovah’s  act  in  granting  him  a tribal  mark, 
clearly  imply  the  existence  of  a tribal  organization.  The  Cain  who  in  17-22  appears  as  the  city 
builder,  and  the  ancestor  of  those  who  develop  the  arts,  is  clearly  distinct  from  the  fugitive  of  the 
preceding  section.  The  only  satisfactory  explanation  of  these  fundamental  differences  in  rep- 
resentation and  point  of  view  is  that  the  passages  contain  distinct  stories,  coming  from  different 
periods  and  writers,  and  were  later  brought  into  their  present  relations  because  of  the  common 
name  Cain.  Of  these  two,  the  second,  which  records  the  earliest  development  of  the  arts,  is  ob- 
viously the  oldest.  It  contains  the  natural  sequence  to  the  story  of  man’s  fall,  and  is  character- 
ized by  the  same  style  and  point  of  view.  The  short  section  25 - 26  presents  still  a third  picture 
inconsistent  with  the  preceding — at  least  in  the  position  where  it  now  stands;  for,  in  striking 
contradiction  to  the  representation  of  the  story  of  Cain  and  Abel,  it  distinctly  states  that  men  in 
the  days  of  Enosh,  or  according  to  the  Greek  text  Enosh  himself,  first  began  to  call  upon  the 
name  of  Jehovah.  The  Heb.  word  translated  again  is  lacking  in  the  Gk.  and  Syr.  It,  together 
with  the  word  other,  inserted  before  seed,  are  clearly  from  the  hand  of  the  editor  who  introduced 
the  story  of  Cain  and  Abel  into  its  present  inharmonious  setting.  The  explanatory  sentence: 
instead  of  Abel,  for  Cain  slew  him,  does  not  fit  the  mouth  of  Eve,  into  which  it  is  put,  but  appears 
to  be  still  another  editorial  attempt  to  bring  this  third  section  into  harmonious  relations  to 
the  first.  Recognizing  these  editorial  additions,  and  that  2-16a  contains  a later  story  not  found  in 
the  original  narrative,  many  perplexing  questions  are  at  once  explained. 

The  vexed  problem,  however,  remains:  What  is  the  relation  between  the  two  sections  which 
are  left,1-  16b-i8  and  25- 26?  The  explanation  accepted  by  the  majority  of  scholars  is  that  they  are 
two  distinct  prophetic  genealogies,  one  starting  with  Cain,  the  other  with  Seth.  Of  these  the 
first  is  regarded  as  the  older,  and  from  the  same  prophet  or  group  of  prophets  who  preserved  the 
story  of  man’s  fall;  while  the  second  is  from  a later  prophetic  hand,  and  is  not  preserved  in  its 
completeness — the  priestly  version  of  the  Sethite  line,  5,  being  substituted.  The  evidence  that 
the  brief  Sethite  genealogy  is  later  than  the  Cainite  is  not  conclusive ; and  it  is  by  no  means  certain 
that  in  the  original  text  of  l,  before  it  was  emended  by  the  editor  who  inserted  2-16a,  there  was 
anything  which  rendered  the  two  lists  incongruous  with  each  other.  It  is  at  least  possible  that 


a 4125  And  she  conceived  found  in  both  the  Gk.  and  Syr.  It  is  the  form  of  expression  regularly 
employed  by  the  prophetic  writers.  Cf. 17 . 

b 320  Inserted  here  because  the  popular  derivation  suggested  for  the  word  Eve  interrupts  the 
thought  in  3 and  first  finds  its  true  application  when  Eve  becomes  a mother.  Cf.  § 1,  note  h. 

57 


Enosh 


First  use 
of  the 
name 
Jehovah 


Cain 


JSnoch 


Gen.  4-26]  BEGINNINGS  OF  HUMAN  CIVILIZATION  [Gen.  5& 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

4 26To  Seth  also  was  born 
a son,  and  he  called  his 
name  Enosh.  He  was  the 
first  to  call  on  the  name  of 
Jehovah.0 

1Then  the  man  [Enosh  ?] 
knew  Eve  his  wife  ; and  she 
conceived,  and  bore  Cain, 
and  said,  I have  got  a male 
child  with  the  help  of  Jeho- 
vah.d 2bAnd  Cain  was  a til- 
ler of  the  soil  16band  dwelt 
east  of  Eden. 

17Then  Cain  knew  his 
wife ; and  she  conceived 
and  bore  Enoch.  And  he 
built  a city  and  called  the 
name  of  the  city  Enoch, 
after  his  son’se  name. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

6And  when  Seth  had  lived  a hundred  and  Enooh 
five  years  he  begat  Enosh.  7And  Seth  lived 
after  he  begat  Enosh  eight  hundred  and 
seven  years,  and  he  begat  sons  and  daugh- 
ters. 8Thus  all  the  days  of  Seth  were  nine 
hundred  and  twelve  years  ; then  he  died. 

9And  when  Enosh  had  lived  ninety  Kenan 
years,  he  begat  Kenan.  10 And  Enosh  lived 
after  he  begat  Kenan  eight  hundred  and 
fifteen  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daugh- 
ters. 11Thus  all  the  days  of  Enosh  were 
nine  hundred  and  five  years  ; then  he 
died. 

12And  when  Kenan  had  lived  seventy  Maha- 
years  he  begat  Mahalalel.  13And  Kenan  lived 
after  he  begat  Mahalalel  eight  hundred  and 
forty  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 
14Thus  all  the  days  of  Kenan  were  nine 
hundred  and  ten  years  ; then  he  died. 


he  removed  25  ■ 28  from  a position  before  1 . 16b;24  to  make  a place  for  the  later  story  of  Cain  and 
Abel.  If  so,  the  original  prophetic  would,  like  the  Babylonian  lists  of  antediluvian  kings  or 
dynasties,  preserved  by  Berosus  (cf.  below),  contain  ten  names.  Whichever  conclusion  be  ac- 
cepted regarding  the  original  relation  of  the  two  prophetic  lists,  the  one  found  in  5,  which  bears 
the  unmistakable  marks  of  the  late  priestly  writer,  combines  the  two.  The  slight  variations  in 
order  and  in  the  spelling  of  the  names  are  best  explained  by  the  conclusion  that  this  list  repre- 
sents not  mere  combination,  but  also  reflects  the  influence  of  an  independent  tradition.  If  this 
be  true,  it  tends  to  confirm  the  view  which  sees  in  the  two  prophetic  lists  originally  one,  begin- 
ning with  Seth.  In  that  case  Cain  (=Kenan  in  the  priestly  list)  was  a great-grandson  rather 
than  a son  of  Adam.  Certainly  it  is  in  harmony  with  the  thought  of  the  prophetic  writers  to 
attribute  the  beginning  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah  to  the  first  descendants  of  Adam.  Cf.  Introd., 
pp.  33,  34.  The  play  on  the  name  of  Cain  in  I have  got  a man  with  Jehovah  logically  follows 
rather  than  precedes  the  beginning  of  Jehovah  worship. 

The  present  arrangement  of  the  text  simply  aims  to  bring  out  the  problems  of  the  two  chap- 
ters and  the  most  plausible  solutions.  Adding  the  passage  in  52st>.  29  (cf.  note  e),  the  lists  of  the 
early  Judean  group  of  stories  reveal  all  the  elements  which  enter  into  the  late  priestly  tradition  in 
5.  The  relation  of  the  two  lists  to  each  other,  and  the  number  of  years  assigned  to  each  ante- 
diluvian (before  the  birth  of  his  eldest  son)  in  the  Sam.,  Heb.,  and  Gk.  versions  of  5,  and  in  the 
ten  antediluvian  dynasties  of  Berosus,  are  shown  in  the  following: 

TABLE  OF  THE  ANTEDILUVIANS.— FROM  THE  CREATION  TO  THE  FLOOD 


Prophetic,  4 

Priestly , 5 

Sam. 

Heb. 

Gk. 

Babylonian 

(Berosus) 

130 

130 

230 

36,000 

105 

105 

205 

10,800 

90 

90 

190 

46,800 

70 

70 

170 

43,200 

65 

65 

165 

64,800 

62 

162 

162 

36,000 

Mehuiael 

65 

65 

165 

64,800 

Methushael 

67 

187 

187 

36,000 

53 

182 

188 

28,800 

Noah 

Noah  (to  flood)  . 

600 

600 

600 

Xisuthros 

64,800 

Totals 

1,307 

1,656 

2,262 

432,000 

c 426b  Heb.  reads,  Then  began  men  to  call  upon  Jehovah.  The  reading  given  is  that  suggested 
by  the  Gk.  and  Sam.  Cf.  Gen.  10s. 

d 41  A slight  change  in  the  text  gives  the  more  natural  reading,  I have  got  a son  whom  I desired, 
or  a change  in  the  vowels,  / have  obtained  a child,  the  bearer  of  the  Jehovah  sign.  Cf. 15. 

e 417b  A change  in  the  Heb.  text  makes  it  possible  to  translate,  He  (Enoch)  built  a city  and 
called  the  name  of  the  city  Enoch,  after  his  own  name. 

58 


Irad 


Mebu- 

Jiel 


Methu- 

ihael 


Lamech 


Noah 


Gen.  4.18]  FOREFATHERS  OF  THE  HUMAN  RACE  [Gen.  5« 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

18aAlso  to  Enoch 
was  born  Irad. 


18bAnd  Irad  begat 
Mehujael. 


18oAnd  Mehujael 
begat  Methushael. 


18dAnd  Methushael 
begat  Lamech. 


5 28bAnd  Lamech  be- 
gat a son  ;e  29and  he 
called  his  name  Noah, 
saying,  This  one  will 
comfort  us  in  our  work 
and  in  the  toil  of  our 
hands,  because  Jeho- 
vah hath  cursed  the 
ground. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

15 And  when  Mahalalel  had  lived  sixty-five  years  Jared 
he  begat  Jared.  16And  Mahalalel  lived  after  he 
begat  Jared  eight  hundred  and  thirty  years,  and 
begat  sons  and  daughters.  17Thus  all  the  days  of 
Mahalalel  were  eight  hundred  and  ninety-five 
years  ; then  he  died. 

18And  when  Jared  had  lived  a hundred  and  Enoch 
sixty-two  years  he  begat  Enoch.  19And  Jared 
lived  after  he  begat  Enoch  eight  hundred  years, 
and  begat  sons  and  daughters.  "Thus  all  the 
days  of  Jared  were  nine  hundred  and  sixty-two 
years  ; then  he  died. 

21  And  when  Enoch  had  lived  sixty-five  years  he  Methu- 
begat  Methuselah.  "And  Enoch  walked  with  selah 
God  after  he  begat  Methuselah  three  hundred 
years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters.  "Thus  all 
the  days  of  Enoch  were  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  years.  "And  Enoch  walked  with  God  and 
was  not,  for  God  took  him. 

5 "And  when  Methuselah  had  lived  a hundred  Lamech 
and  eighty-seven  years  be  begat  Lamech.  "And 
Methuselah  lived  after  he  begat  Lamech  seven 
hundred  and  eighty-two  years,  and  begat  sons  and 
daughters.  "Thus  all  the  days  of  Methuselah  were 
nine  hundred  and  sixty-nine  years ; then  he  died. 

28aAnd  when  Lamech  had  lived  a hundred  Noah 
and  eighty-two  years  he  begat  Noah.  "And 
Lamech  lived  after  he  begat  Noah  five  hundred 
and  ninety-five  years,  and  begat  sons  and 
daughters.  31Thus  all  the  days  of  Lamech  were 
seven  hundred  and  seventy-seven  years  ; then 
he  died. 


32 And  when  Noah  was  five  hundred  years  old, 
Noah  begat  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth. 


• 528b.  "These  verses  interrupt  the  systematic  structure  of  the  priestly  narrative  and  intro- 
duce an  entirely  different  style  and  theme.  The  play  on  the  sound  of  the  name  Noah  is  after  the 
manner  of  the  early  Judean  prophetic  narratives.  It  is  impossible  to  determine  absolutely  what 
was  the  original  context  of  the  passage.  Its  present  position  in  5 cannot  be  a mere  accident. 
The  priestly,  528,  may  well  be  based  upon  the  older  prophetic  tradition,  which  is  thus  preserved. 
The  reference  to  Noah  as  the  one  who  will  comfort  us  from  the  toil  of  our  hands , because  Jehovah 
hath  cursed  the  ground , looks  back  to  the  curse  of  317-19,  and  forward,  not  to  the  later  stories  of 
Noah,  the  hero  of  the  flood,  but  to  the  early  Judean  prophetic  narrative  ot  Noah,  the  first  to 
cultivate  the  vine  and  to  make  wine,  § 5. 


59 


Origin 
of  polyg- 
amy 

Of 

nomads 


Of 

musi- 

cians 

Of 

metal- 

workers 


Of  the 
law  of 
blood- 
revenge 


Origin 
of  agri- 
culture 


Lewd- 
ness of 
Canaan 


Piety  of 

Shem 

and 

Japheth 


Gen.  419]  BEGINNINGS  OF  HUMAN  CIVILIZATION 

§ 4.  The  Story  of  Lamech,  the  Father  of  Those  who  Developed  the  No- 
madic Arts,  Gen.  419_2i 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  4 19Now  Lamech  took  to  himself  two  wives:  the  name  of  the  one 
was  Adah  [Light],  and  the  name  of  the  other  Zillah  [Shadow],  20And 
Adah  bore  Jabal  [Shepherd] ; he  was  the  father  of  those  who  dwell  in 
tents  and  with  cattle.  "And  his  brother’s  name  was  Jubal  [Ram’s 
Horn]  ; he  was  the  father  of  all  those  who  handle  the  harp  and  pipe. 
"And  Zillah  also  bore  1 ubal-eain  [Smith] ; he  was  the  father  of  all  those 
who  forge  copper  and  iron.f  And  the  sister  of  Tubal-cain  was  Naamah 
[Grace],  23 And  Lamech  said  to  his  wives, 

Adah  and  Zillah,  hearken  to  my  voice, 

Wives  of  Lamech,  give  ear  to  my  saying  : 

A man  I slay  for  wounding  me. 

And  a youth  for  bruising  me. 

,4If  Cain  be  avenged  seven  times, 

Lamech  shall  be  seventy  and  seven. 

5.  The  Story  of  Noah,  the  First  Vineyard-Keeper,  and  His  Son,  Gen.  920-*7 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  9 "Now  Noah,  the  farmer,  was  the  first  to  plant  a vineyard. 
21  And  when  he  drank  of  the  wine  he  became  drunken,  and  lay  uncov- 
ered within  his  tent.  "Then  Ham,  the  father  of?  Canaan,  saw  the  nakedness 
of  his  father  and  told  it  outside  to  his  two  brothers.  "But  Shem  and 
Japheth  took  a garment  and  laid  it  upon  both  their  shoulders  and  went 
backward  to  cover  the  nakedness  of  their  father,  their  faces  being  turned 
away  so  that  they  did  not  see  their  father’s  nakedness.  "When  Noah 
awoke  from  his  wme  and  learned  what  his  youngest  son  had  done  to 
him,  25 he  said, 

§ 4 This  narrative  is  found  embedded  in  the  early  Judean  prophetic  list  of  the  forefathers  of 
the  human  race.  It  is  characteristic  of  the  prophetic  authors  to  associate  with  the  names  of 
their  characters  any  facts  which  tradition  has  preserved.  In  the  present  case  they  have  also 
incorporated  at  least  a portion  of  the  ancient  song,  which  probably  furnished  them  most,  if  not 
all,  the  data  which  appear  in  the  prose  narrative.  The  story  is  introduced  here  because  of  its 
evident  antiquity,  and  because  it  gives  the  traditional  origin  of  the  nomadic,  the  earliest  stage 
of  human  civilization. 

1 4-  The  Heb.  reads.  Tubal  Cain,  a smith,  every  forger  of  copper  and  iron.  Smith  seems  to 
have  been  originally  a marginal  note,  intended  either  to  indicate  the  meaning  of  the  word  Cain, 
or  else  his  occupation.  The  Gk.  adds,  and  he  was,  which  suggests  that  the  original  reading  was, 
as  restored  above,  analogous  to  the  idiom  in  20  and  21 . 

§ 5 This  story  continues  the  early  Judean  prophetic  narrative  of  4M-24,  which  knows  nothing 
of  the  later  accounts  of  the  flood;  for  it  states  that  Lamech’s  sons  were  the  direct  ancestors  of 
nomads,  musicians,  and  metal-workers.  This  statement,  of  course,  is  incompatible  with  the 
tradition  that  the  flood  later  destroyed  all  the  sons  of  Lamech  except  Noah.  Noah  in  this  older 
group  of  narratives  figures  simply  as  a farmer  (lit.,  man  of  the  cultivated  ground),  the  first  to  de- 
velop the  culture  of  the  vine,  which  represented  the  next  higher  stage  of  civilization.  His 
character,  as  revealed  by  his  acts,  is  very  different  from  that  of  the  hero  of  the  later  flood  stories, 

§ 8 ; cf . Ezek.  1414.  By  means  of  this  strange  story  its  prophetic  author  evidently  aimed  to  throw 
iight  upon  the  perplexing  problem  presented  by  early  Israelitish  history,  namely,  Why  the 
Canaanites,  the  original  owners  of  the  land  and  far  more  advanced  in  civilization,  became  the 
slaves  of  the  Hebrews,  the  heirs  of  Shem.  His  suggestion  that  it  was  because  of  the  moral 
depravity  of  the  former  reveals  the  true  prophet,  who  appreciated  the  eternal  principles  which 
govern  the  life  of  nations  and  individuals. 

g 922  The  words  Ham  the  father  of  , appear  to  have  been  added  to  bring  this  ancient  story  into 
harmony  with  the  other  associated  with  the  name  of  Noah.  In  24  Canaan  is  called  the  youngest 
son  of  Noah,  and  in  the  poetical  passage  25-27,  which  represents  the  still  older  source  upon  which 
the  prophetic  story  appears  to  have  been  based,  he  figures  as  the  brother  of  Shem  and  Japheth. 
Except  in  this  verse  Ham  is  nowhere  else  mentioned  in  the  story. 

60 


NOAH  THE  FIRST  VINEYARD-KEEPER  [Gen.  925 

Cursed  be  Canaan ; 

May  he  be  a servant  of  servants11  to  his  brothers. 

26 Also  he  said, 

Blessed  of  Jehovah  be  Shem 
And  let  Canaan  be  a servant  to  him. 

27God  enlarge  Japheth, 

And  let  him  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem  ; 

Let  Canaan  also  be  a servant  to  him. 

§ 6.  The  Story  of  Cain,  the  First  Murderer,  Gen.  41-'6* 

Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  4 JAnd  the  man  knew  Eve  his  wife  ; and  she  conceived  and 
bore  Cain.  2And  she  also  bore  his  brother  Abel.  Abel  was  a keeper  of 
sheep,  but  Cain  was  a tiller  of  the  soil. 

3Now  in  course  of  time  it  came  to  pass,  that  Cain  brought  the  fruit  of 
the  ground  as  an  offering  to  Jehovah.  4And  Abel,  also,  brought  of  the 
firstlings  of  his  flock  and  of  their  fat.  And  Jehovah  looked  favorably 
upon  Abel  and  his  offering  ; 5but  for  Cain  and  his  offering  he  had  no  re- 
gard. Therefore  Cain  was  very  angry  and  his  countenance  fell.  6And 
Jehovah  said  to  Cain, 

Why  art  thou  angry  ? 

And  why  is  thy  countenance  fallen  ? 

7If  thou  doest  well, 

Is  there  not  acceptance  ?i 

But  if  thou  doest  not  well, 

Does  not  sin  crouch  at  the  door  ? 

And  to  thee  shall  be  its  desire. 

But  thou  shouldst  rule  over  it.k 


h 9"  Lit.,  slave  of  slaves;  i.  e.,  lowest  of  servants. 

> The  ordinary  translation  of  this  line:  Blessed  be  Jehovah  the  God  of  Shem,  not  only  leaves 
Shem,  the  traditional  ancestor  of  the  Hebrews,  wit  hout  a blessing,  but  also  is  not  in  harmony  with 
the  striking  parallelism  of  the  passage.  A slight  change  in  the  Heb.  text  gives  Blessed  of  Jehovah 
God  be  Shem,  which  was  probably  the  original  reading.  Another  slight  emendation  furnishes  the 
possible  reading:  Bless,  0 Jehovah,  the  tent  of  Shem. 

§ 6 The  reasons  why  this  story  is  distinct  and  later  than  those  found  in  the  remainder  of  4 
have  already  been  indicated  in  note  § 3.  Moreover,  this  narrative  assumes  the  different  stages 
of  civilization,  the  beginnings  of  which  are  recorded  in  §§  4 and  5.  Men  have  already  formed  the 
habit  of  calling  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah,  4®.  Nothing  is  apparently  known  concerning  the 
curse  upon  the  ground  because  of  the  sin  of  the  first,  man;  ef.  317  and  412.  The  geographical 
background  also  is  not  Babylonia,  but  southern  Palestine,  where  the  agriculturist  and  shepherd 
live  side  by  side,  and  where  tribal  organization  and  the  law  of  blood-revenge  are  prominent. 
Cain  and  Abel,  like  Canaan  and  Sidon,  in  Gen.  1015,  evidently  represent  tribes  or  peoples,  else 
Cain  would  have  had  no  fear  of  blood-vengeance  after  he  had  slain  his  victim.  Whether  Cain 
represents  the  tribe  of  the  Kenites  and  Abel  the  Hebrews,  as  has  been  strongly  urged  by  Stade 
and  others,  or  Cain  = Canaan  (cf.  § 3)  = the  Canaanites,  it  is  exceedingly  probable  that  the  story 
originally  reflected  the  early  experiences  of  the  Hebrews,  and  their  relations  with  their  neighbors 
in  the  struggle  for  the  possession  of  Canaan.  If  the  second  explanation  be  the  true  one,  the 
story,  like  that  regarding  Noah  in  92c_27,  suggests  still  another  reason  why  the  older  agricultural 
Canaanites  were  ultimately  dispossessed  by  the  Hebrews.  The  theme,  the  style,  and  the  varia- 
tions from  the  picture  of  Cain  in  17  all  indicate  that  the  story  is  later  than  the  early  Judean  group 
of  narratives  to  which  it  was  subsequently  added  because  its  chief  character  bore  the  name  Cain. 
Emphasizing,  however,  as  it  does,  the  great  prophetic  truths,  that  it  is  the  character  of  the 
offerer,  not  the  sacrifice,  which  is  essential,  that  man  is  a free  agent,  and  hence  responsible,  and 
that  God’s  mercy  far  surpasses  that  of  man,  it  is  obvious  that  the  grim  old  story  was  told  by  a 
prophet  who  may  well  have  been  a contemporary  of  Amos,  Hosea.  and  Isaiah. 

‘ 47a  Lit.,  lifting  up.  This  may  refer  to  Cain’s  countenance,  which  would  thus  be  an  index 
that  he  was  conscious  of  having  done  rightly,  or  it  may  mean  a lifting  up  of  sin,  and  equals 
forgiveness. 

k 47b  This  verse  as  a whole  presents  many  difficulties  to  the  translator.  The  Gk.  version 
reads,  If  thou  bringcst  rightly,  but  dost  not  rightly  divide,  hast  thou  not  sinned?  Be  still;  to  thee  shall 
be  his  return,  and  thou  shall  rule  over  him.  The  Vulgate  supports  the  translation  of  the  Heb. 

61 


Slavery 

Ca- 

naan's 

punish- 

ment 


Reward 
of  Shem 
and 

Japheth 


Birth 

and 

occupa- 
tions of 
Cain  and 
Abel 

Their 
offerings 
and  Je- 
hovah’s 
recep- 
tion of 
them 


Cain’s 
anger 
and  Je- 
hovah’s 
counsel 


The  first 
murder 


Convic- 
tion of 
Cain 


Con- 
demned 
to  fruit- 
less 
labor 

His  com- 
plaint 


Divine 
decree 
and  sign 
for  his 
protec- 
tion 


Union 

between 

divine 

and 

human 

beings 


Gen.  4.8]  BEGINNINGS  OF  HUMAN  CIVILIZATION 

8Then  Cain  said  to  Abel  his  brother,  Let  us  go  to  the  field.1  And  it 
came  to  pass,  when  they  were  in  the  field,  that  Cain  attacked  Abel  his 
brother  and  slew  him.  9 And  when  Jehovah  said  unto  Cain,  Where  is 
Abel,  thy  brother  ? he  said,  I do  not  know  ; am  I my  brother’s  keeper  ? 
10Then  he  said,  What  hast  thou  done  ? the  voice  of  thy  brother’s  blood 
cries  to  me  from  the  ground.  11Now,  therefore,  cursed  art  thou  ; away 
from  the  ground,  which  has  opened  its  mouth  to  receive  thy  brother’s 
blood  from  thy  hand.  12Whenever  thou  tillest  the  ground,  it  shall  no 
longer  yield  to  thee  its  strength  ; a vagabond  and  wanderer  shalt  thou  be 
on  the  earth.  13Then  Cain  said  to  Jehovah,  My  punishment  is  greater 
than  I can  bear.  14Behold,  thou  hast  driven  me  out  this  day  from  the 
face  of  the  ground,™  and  from  thy  face  shall  I be  hid  ; and  I shall  become 
a vagabond  and  a wanderer  on  the  earth  ; and  it  will  come  to  pass,  that 
whoever  finds  me  will  kill  me.  15But  Jehovah  said  to  him. 

Not  so  !n  if  any  one  kill  Cain, 

Vengeance  shall  be  taken  on  him  sevenfold. 

So  Jehovah  granted  Cain  a sign,0  that  any  one  finding  him  should  not 
kill  him. 

16aThus  Cain  went  out  from  the  presence  of  Jehovah  and  dwelt  in  the 
land  of  Nod  [Wandering]. p 


III 

CONSEQUENCES  OF  HUMAN  DEGENERACY,  AND  THE 
NEW  BEGINNING  INAUGURATED  BY  THE 
FLOOD,  Gen.  6!-917-  2S-  29 

§ 7.  The  Story  of  the  Sons  of  God  and  the  Daughters  of  Men,  Gen.  61-4 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen  6 4Now  it  came  to  pass  when  men  had  begun  to  be  many  on 
the  face  of  the  ground,  and  daughters  had  been  born  to  them,  2that  the 
sons  of  God  saw  that  the  daughters  of  men  were  fair,  and  they  took  to 
themselves  as  wives  whomsoever  they  chose. 


given  above.  The  meaning  of  the  first  part  of  the  verse  is  clear:  right  acts  insure  Jehovah’s 
favor;  but  the  last  two  lines  can  be  translated  only  conjecturally.  They  may  represent  simply 
an  explanatory  or  parenthetic  note,  which  has  suffered  in  transmission.  The  poetic  parallelism 
of  the  verse  is  obvious,  but  in  several  instances  the  Heb.  lacks  the  corresponding  number  of 
beats  which  are  characteristic  of  Hebrew  poetry,  also  indicating  that  the  original  text  has  been 
partially  lost. 

'4s The  Heb.  has  the  incomplete  reading.  Then  Cain  said  . . . . All  other  versions, 

including  the  Sam.,  Gk.,  and  Lat.,  have  preserved  what  was  probably  in  the  original:  Let  us 
go  into  the  field. 

m 414  Heb.  lit.,  tilled  or  tillable  ground. 

n 415a  Following  the  Syr.,  Gk.,  and  Lat.  A slight  emendation  in  the  Heb.  gives  a similar 
reading,  which  is  both  intelligible  and  strong. 

0415b  This  is  a tribal  mark,  not  as  a punishment  but  as  a protection,  as  the  context  clearly 
implies. 

p 18a  A brief  epilogue,  possibly  added  by  a later  prophet. 

§ 7 This  short  section  has  well  been  styled  a torso.  It  now  stands  as  an  introduction  to  the 
story  of  the  flood,  but  its  details  have  nothing  in  common  with  the  flood  stories,  which  begin 
with  65  (cf . § 8),  except  Jehovah’s  disapproval  of  the  acts  of  men.  _ Its  language  indicates  that 
it  belongs  to  the  early  Judean  prophetic  narratives.  Short  though  it  is,  it  contains  several  frag- 

62 


SONS  OF  GOD  AND  DAUGHTERS  OF  MEN  [Gen.  63 

3Then  said  Jehovah,  My  spirit  shall  not  abide  ina  man  forever,  be- 
cause he  also  is  flesh ; therefore  his  days  shall  be  one  hundred  and 
twenty  years.  4The  Nephilim  [giants]  were  on  the  earth  in  those  days, 
and  also  afterwards,* * * §5  when  the  sons  of  God  came  in  to  the  daughters  of  men, 
and  they  bore  children  to  them  ; these  were  the  heroes  who  were  fa- 
mous in  olden  time. 


§ 8.  The  Two  Biblical  Stories  of  the  Flood,  Gen.  65_9n' 28 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  6 5YVhen  Jehovah  saw  that  the 
wickedness  of  man  was  great  in  the  earth, 
and  that  every  purpose  of  the  thoughts  of 
his  heart  was  only  evil  continually,  e Jeho- 
vah regretted  that  he  had  made  man  on 
the  earth  and  it  grieved  him  to  his  heart. 
7Therefore  Jehovah  said,  I will  destroy  from 
the  face  of  the  ground  man  whom  I have 
created, — not  only  man,  but  also  beasts  and  creep- 
ing things,  and  the  birds  of  the  heavens, c — for  I re- 
gret that  I have  made  them. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 
6 **Now  the  earth  be- 
came corrupt  before  God, 
and  the  earth  was  filled 
with  violence.  12 And  God 
saw  the  earth,  and,  behold, 
it  had  become  corrupt,  for 
all  flesh  had  corrupted 
their  way  on  the  earth. 


8But  Noah  found 
favor  in  the  eyes  of 
Jehovah. 

And  Jehovah  said 
to  Noah,  Make 


THESE  ARE  THE  GENERATIONS  OF  NOAH 

9bBut  Noah  was  a righteous  man,  perfect  among 
his  contemporaries  ; Noah  walked  with  God. 

13Therefore  God  said  to  Noah,  I have  determined 
to  maked  an  end  of  all  flesh,  for  the  earth  is  filled 


ments  of  what  were  probably  originally  complete  popular  legends,  handed  down  from  hoary 
antiquity.  Nowhere  in  Gen.  do  we  gain  a clearer  conception  of  the  great  volume  of  ancient 
stories  which  were  in  the  minds  of  the  contemporaries  of  the  early  prophets,  cf.  Introd.,  p.  7. 
The  many  attempts  to  explain  away  the  legendary  elements  are  as  futile  as  unnecessary.  The 
prophet  here  refers  briefly  to  the  familiar  legend  in  order  to  eliminate  its  immoral  teaching  by 
branding  it  with  Jehovah’s  disapproval.  It  was,  perhaps,  also  intended  to  give  another 
explanation  of  the  origin  of  sin  and  death.  Vs.4  seems  to  be  simply  parenthetic,  and  more 
naturally  follows2. 

a 63  Following  the  Gk.,  Syr.,  and  Lat.  The  verb  in  the  Heb.  is  not  found  elsewhere  in  the 
O.T.  The  translation  of  the  AV  and  RV,  strive  with , can  hardly  be  justified.  The  verb  may 
mean  rule  in  or  abide  in. 

b 64  Probably  added  by  a later  editor  who  had  in  mind  Num.  1333. 

§ 8 Two  distinct  and  nearly  complete  accounts  of  the  flood  are  found  closely  woven  together 
in  these  chapters.  The  one  uses  the  term  Jehovah  throughout,  and  has  the  characteristics  of 
the  Judean  prophetic  narratives,  although  it  apparently  was  not  found  in  the  earliest  group  (cf. 
note  § 5).  The  other  version  has  all  the  marked  peculiarities  of  the  late  priestly  narratives,  and 
is  the  natural  continuation  of  chapter  5,  which  connects  the  priestly  story  of  the  creation  with 
that  of  the  flood.  It  opens  with  the  formula,  These  are  the  generations  of  Noah , and  concludes 
with  a covenant,  as  do  all  the  longer  sections  in  this  history  of  Israel’s  ceremonial  institutions. 
While  agreeing  in  general,  these  two  parallel  accounts  present  many  obvious  variations,  not 
only  in  style  but  also  in  representation.  Thus,  for  example,  in  the  first,  Noah  is  commanded  to 
take  seven,  or  seven  pairs  of  clean  and  two  of  unclean  animals  into  the  ark:  but  in  the  second, 
only  one  pair  of  each  kind.  In  the  prophetic  narrative  the  flood  is  simply  the  result  of  heavy 
rains;  in  the  other  it  is  because  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  were  broken  up  and  the  windows 
of  heaven  opened.  In  one  the  duration  of  the  flood  is  61  or  68  days  (40  + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 [?];  cf. 
note  i).  while  in  the  priestly  it  is  365  days,  or  a solar  year.  In  one  Noah  sacrifices  after  leaving 
the  ark,  but  not  according  to  the  priestly  narrator,  who  conceives  of  sacrifice  as  first  instituted 
by  Moses.  In  each  case  the  variations  are  due  to  the  peculiar  point  of  view  and  thought  of  each 
group  of  narratives.  Cf.  Appendix  V.  for  the  Babylonian  versions  of  the  common  Semitic 
tradition.  _ . 

c 67  This  parenthetic  sentence  was  evidently  taken  from  the  priestly  narrative  and  introduced 
here  by  an  editor. 

d 613  The  equivalent  of  the  Hebrew  idiom,  is  come  before  me. 

63 


Jeho- 

vah’s 

disap- 

proval 


Origin 
of  giants 


Cause  of 
the  flood 


Piety  of 
Noah 


Com- 
mand to 
make 
an  ark 


Com- 
mand to 
enter  the 
ark  with 
his  fam- 
ily and 
with  rep- 
resent- 
atives 
of  all 
species 
or  land 
animals 


Its  exe- 
cution 


Begin- 
ning of 
the  flood 
and  the 
entrance 
into  the 
ark 


Gen.  7* 1]  CONSEQUENCES  OF  HUMAN  DEGENERACY  [Gen.  613 


Later  Judean 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 


an  ark  of  cypress 
wood?  .... 

And  Noah  did 
according  to  all  that 
Jehovah  commanded 
him.  (75) 


with  violence  through  them  ; and,  behold,  I will 
destroy  them  with  the  earth.  14Make  thyself  an  ark 
of  cypress  wood  ; rooms  shalt  thou  make  in  the  ark, 
and  shalt  smear  it  within  and  without  with  pitch. 
15 And  this  is  the  plan  according  to  which  thou  shalt 
make  it  : the  length  of  the  ark  shall  be  three  hun- 
dred cubits,  its  breadth  fifty  cubits,  and  its  height 
thirty  cubits.  16  A window  shalt  thou  make  for  the 
ark,  and  a cubit  in  heightf  shalt  thou  make  it ; and 
the  door  of  the  ark  shalt  thou  set  in  its  side.  With 
lower,  second,  and  third  stories  shalt  thou  make  it. 
17For,  behold,  I am  about  to  bring  the  flood  of  waters 
upon  the  earth  to  destroy  from  under  heaven  all  flesh 
wherein  is  the  breath  of  life;  every  thing  that  is  in 
the  earth  shall  die. 


7 aThen  Jehovah  said  to  Noah, 
Enter  thou  and  all  thy  house  into 
the  ark  ; for  thee  have  I found 
righteous  before  me  in  this  genera- 
tion. 2Of  all  clean  beasts  thou 
shalt  take  to  thee  by  sevens, s male 
and  his  mate,  but  of  the  beasts  that 
are  not  clean  by  twos,h  a male  and 
his  mate  ; 3and  of  the  clean  birds 
of  the  heavens,  seven  by  seven,  male 
and  female;1  to  keep  offspring  alive 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  4 *For 
after  seven  days  I will  cause  it  to 
rain  upon  the  earth  forty  days  and 
forty  nights  ; and  every  living  thing 
that  I have  made  will  I destroy 
from  off  the  face  of  the  ground. 
5 And  Noah  did  according  to  all 
that  Jehovah  commanded  him. 


10And  it  came  to  pass 
after  the  seven  days 
that  the  waters  of  the 


18But  I will  establish  my  cove- 
nant with  thee ; and  thou  shalt 
enter  the  ark,  thou,  and  thy  sons, 
and  thy  wife,  and  thy  sons’  wives, 
with  thee.  19Also  of  every  living 
thing  of  all  flesh,  two  of  every  kind 
shalt  thou  bring  into  the  ark  to 
keep  them  alive  with  thee  ; a male 
and  a female  shall  they  be.  20Of 
the  birds  after  their  kind,  and  of 
the  cattle  after  their  kind,  of  every 
creeping  thing  of  the  ground  after 
its  kind,  two  of  each  shall  come  to 
thee,  that  they  may  live.  21Take 
also  of  all  food  that  is  eaten,  and 
gather  it  to  thee,  that  it  may  be 
for  food  for  thee  and  for  them. 
22Thus  did  Noah  ; according  to  all 
that  God  commanded  him,  so  did 
he. 


7 6And  Noah  was  six  hundred  years  old 
when  the  flood  of  waters  was  upon  the  earth. 
11  In  the  six  hundredth  year  of  Noah’s  life,  in 


« Of  the  two  versions  of  the  command  to  build  the  ark,  only  the  priestly  remains,  probably 
because  they  were  very  similar  and  because  the  latter  was  the  more  detailed. 

1 6'6  Lit.,  from  to  above. 

e 2 Heb.,  seven  seven.  The  exact  meaning  is  not  clear.  It  may  be  seven  pairs,  as  suggested 

by  a male  and  his  mate  which  follows;  or  simply  seven,  i.  e.,  three  pairs  and  one  extra  male  for 

sacrifice. 

h 72  Gk.,  Syr.,  and  Sam.  Heb.  has  simply  two. 

i 73, s The  priestly  idiom  (cf.  the  prophetic  equivalent,  a male  and  his  mate,  in  2) . It  wm 
evidently  introduced  here  by  the  editor  who  combined  the  two  versions. 

64 


TWO  BIBLICAL  STORIES  OF  THE  FLOOD  [Gen.  7n 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

the  second  month,  on  the  seventeenth  day  of 
the  month,  on  the  same  day. 

All  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  were  broken  up 
And  the  windows  of  heaven  were  opened. 

13On  that  very  day,  Noah,  and  Shem  and  Ham 
and  Japheth,  the  sons  of  Noah,  and  Noah’s 
wife,  and  the  three  wives  of  his  sons  with 
them,  entered  into  the  ark,  14together  with 
every  beast  after  its  kind,  and  all  the  cattle 
after  their  kind,  and  every  creeping  thing 
that  creeps  on  the  earth  after  its  kind,  all 
birds  of  every  species.  15And  they  went  in 
to  Noah  into  the  ark,  two  by  two  of  all  flesh 
in  which  is  the  breath  of  life.  16aAnd  those 
that  entered,  went  in  male  and  female  of  all 
flesh,  as  God  commanded. 


Gen.  710] 

Later  Judean  Prophetic 

flood  came  upon  the 
earth.  7Then  Noah,  to- 
gether with  his  sons  and 
his  wife,  and  his  sons’ 
wives,  entered  into  the 
ark,  because  of  the 
waters  of  the  flood.  8Of 
clean  beasts,  and  of 
beasts  that  are  not  clean, 
and  of  birds,  and  of 
every  thing  that  creeps 
upon  the  ground,  9there 
went  in  two  by  two  to 
Noah  into  the  ark,  male 
and  female,  as  God1  com- 
manded Noah.  16bAnd 
Jehovah  shut  him  in. 

12And  the  rain  was  upon  the 
earth  forty  days  and  forty  nights, 
17band  the  waters  increased  and 
bore  up  the  ark,  and  it  was  lifted 
high  above  the  earth.  22A11  in 
whose  nostrils  was  the  breath  of 
life,  of  all  that  was  on  the  land, 
died.  23Thus  [Jehovah]  destroyed 
every  thing  that  existed  upon  the 
face  of  the  ground,  both  man  and 
animals,  and  creeping  things,  and 
birds  of  the  heavens,  so  that  they 
were  destroyed  from  the  earth  ; 
and  Noah  only  was  left  and  they 
that  were  with  him  in  the  ark. 

8 6aBut  it  came 
to  pass  at  the 
end  of  forty  days 
2bthat  the  rain 
from  heaven 

ceased,  3aand  the 
waters  retired 
continually  from 
off  the  land.i 


18Then  the  waters  rose  high,  and  Nature, 
increased  greatly  upon  the  earth  ; and  ef- 
and  the  ark  moved  on  the  face  of  the  flood 
the  waters.  19And  the  waters  rose 
higher  and  higher  over  the  earth, 
until  all  the  high  mountains  that 
were  under  the  whole  heaven  were 
covered.  20Fifteen  cubits  above 
their  tops  rose  the  waters,  so  that 
the  mountains  were  completely 
covered.  21Then  all  flesh  died  that 
moved  upon  the  earth,  including 
birds,  and  animals,  and  every  creep- 
ing thing  that  creeps  upon  the 
earth,  and  all  mankind. 


24Thus  the  waters  rose  high  above  the  earth  for  a Cesna-f 
hundred  and  fifty  days.  8 'Then  God  remembered  the  flood 
Noah,  and  all  the  beasts,  and  all  the  animals  that 
were  with  him  in  the  ark  ; and  God  caused  a wind 
to  pass  over  the  earth,  so  that  the  waters  began  to  sub- 
side, 2the  fountains  also  of  the  deep  and  the  windows 
of  heaven  were  closed  ; 3band  at  the  end  of  the  hun- 
dred and  fifty  days  the  waters  decreased.  4And  the 
ark  rested  on  the  seventeenth  day  of  the  seventh 
month  upon  the  mountains  of  Ararat.  5And  the 


2b -3a  Jt  appears  that,  as  a result  of  the  process  of  combining  the  two  narratives,  the 
original  order  of  the  first  has  been  slightly  disturbed.  717*,  And  the  flood  was  forty  days  on  the 
earth,  seems  to  be  an  editorial  addition  intended  to  harmonize  the  priestly  with  the  prophetic 

story. 


65 


Gen.  86]  CONSEQUENCES  OF  HUMAN  DEGENERACY  [Gen.  8* 


Later  Judean 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

waters  decreased  continually  until  the  tenth  month ; 
on  the  first  day  of  the  tenth  month  were  the  tops  of 
the  mountains  seen. 


Sending 
out  the 
raven 
and  dove 


Dis- 
appear- 
ance of 
the  flood 


Depart- 
ure from 
the  ark 


6bThen  Noah  opened  the  window  of  the  ark 
which  he  had  made  ; 7and  he  sent  forth  a raven,  and 
it  kept  going  to  and  fro,  until  the  waters  were  dried 
up  from  off'  the  earth.  8And  he  sent  forth  from  him 
a dovek  to  see  if  the  waters  had  subsided  from  off 
the  face  of  the  ground  ; 9but  the  dove  found  no 
rest  for  the  sole  of  its  foot,  and  it  returned  to  him 
to  the  ark, — for  the  waters  were  on  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth, — and  he  stretched  forth  his  hand  and 
took  her  and  brought  her  to  him  into  the  ark. 
10Then  he  waited  seven  days  more  and  again  sent 
forth  the  dove  from  the  ark.  1 1 And  the  dove  came 
in  to  him  at  eventide  ; and,  lo,  there  was  in  her 
mouth  a freshly  plucked  olive  leaf.  So  Noah  knew 
that  the  waters  had  subsided  from  off  the  earth. 
12And  he  waited  seven  days  more  and  sent  forth  the 
dove  ; but  it  did  not  return  to  him  again. 


i3brrhen  Noah 
removed  the  cov- 
ering of  the  ark 
and  looked,  and 
behold,  the  face 
of  the  ground  was 
dry. 


13aAnd  it  came  to  pass  in  the  six  hundred  and  first 
year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  first  month,  the  waters 
were  dried  up  from  off  the  earth.  14And  on  the 
twenty-seventh  day  of  the  second  month  the  earth 
was  dry. 


15Then  God  spoke  to  Noah,  saying,  16Go  forth  from 
the  ark,  together  with  thy  wife,  and  thy  sons,  and 
thy  sons’  wives  with  thee.  17Bring  forth  with  thee 
every  living  thing  that  is  with  thee  of  all  flesh,  even 
birds,  and  cattle,  and  every  creeping  thing  that  creeps 
on  the  earth  ; that  they  may  swarm  over  the  earth, 
and  be  fruitfid  and  become  numerous  upon  the  earth. 
18So  Noah  went  forth  and  his  sons,  and  his  wife,  and 
his  sons’  wives  with  him.  19Every  beast,  every  creep- 
ing thing,  and  every  bird,  whatever  moves  on  the 
earth,  after  their  families,  went  forth  from  the  ark. 


Divine  20And  Noah  built  an  altar  to  Je- 
notto36  hovah,  and  took  of  every  clean 
nipt  the  beast,  and  of  every  clean  bird,  and 
nature f offered  burnt-offerings  on  the  altar. 


9 8 And  God  spoke  to  Noah  and 
to  his  sons  with  him,  saying,  9Be- 
hold,  now  I establish  my  covenant 
with  you,  and  with  your  descend- 


k 8s  The  formula,  repeated  at  the  beginning  of 10. l2,  seems  to  be  implied  here.  It  is  generally 
believed  that  the  words,  and  he  waited,  seven  days,  have  dropped  out.  If  this  conclusion  be 
accepted,  the  duration  of  the  flood,  according  to  the  prophetic  narrative,  was  sixty-eight  days. 

66 


Gen.  821]  TWO  BIBLICAL  STORIES  OF  THE  FLOOD  [Gen.  99 


Later  Judean  Narratives 


Late  Priestly 


21And  when  Jehovah  smelled  the 
pleasant  odor,  Jehovah  said  in  his 
heart,  I will  never  again  curse  the 
ground  because  of  man,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  man’s  heart  is  evil  from  his 
youth  ; nor  will  I again  smite  every 
thing  that  lives,  as  I have  done. 

22While  the  earth  remains, 
Seedtime  and  harvest, 

Cold  and  heat, 

Summer  and  winter. 

Day  and  night 
Shall  not  cease. 


ants  after  you,  10and  with  every  liv- 
ing creature  that  is  with  you,  the 
birds,  the  animals,  and  every  beast 
of  the  earth  with  you  of  all  that 
have  gone  out  of  the  ark,  even 
every  beast  of  the  earth.  11  And  I 
establish  my  covenant  with  you 
that  all  flesh  shall  never  again  be 
cut  off  by  the  waters  of  the  flood, 
and  that  never  again  shall  there  be 
a flood  to  destroy  the  earth. 


12And  God  said,  This  is  the  sign  of  the  covenant  Rain- 
which  I make  between  me  and  you  and  every  living  remind- 
creature  that  is  with  you,  to  endless  generations : promise 
13I  place  my  bow  in  the  cloud  and  it  shall  be  for 
the  sign  of  a covenant  between  me  and  the  earth. 

14 And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  I bring  a cloud 
over  the  earth  and  the  bow  is  seen  in  the  cloud, 

15then  I will  remember  my  covenant,  which  is  be- 
tween me  and  you  and  every  living  creature  of  all 
flesh  ; and  the  waters  shall  never  again  become  a 
flood  to  destroy  all  flesh.  16 When  the  bow  shall  ap- 
pear in  the  cloud,  I will  look  upon  it,  to  remember 
the  everlasting  covenant  between  God  and  every  liv- 
ing creature  of  all  flesh  that  is  on  the  earth.  17 And 
God  said  to  Noah,  This  is  the  sign  of  the  covenant 
which  I have  established  between  me  and  all  flesh 
that  is  on  the  earth. 

1Then  God  blessed  Noah  and  his  sons,  and  said  to  Re- 
them.  Be  fruitful,  and  become  numerous,  that  ye  may  S' of 
fill  the  earth.  2And  the  fear  of  you  and  the  dread  of  sionmis' 
you  shall  be  upon  every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  upon 
every  bird  of  the  heavens,  together  with  every  thing 
which  moves1  upon  the  ground,  and  all  the  fishes  of 
the  sea ; into  your  power  are  they  delivered.  3Every  Permis- 
moving  thing  that  lives  shall  be  food  for  you  ; as  I eat  meat 
gave  the  green  herb,  I give  you  all.  4Only  flesh  in 
which  is  its  life,™ — that  is,  its  blood, — shall  ye  not 
eat.  5Moreover,  your  own  life-blood  will  I require  ; Penalty 
from  every  beast  will  I require  it,  and  at  the  hand  ding 
of  man,  even  at  the  hand  of  every  man’s  brother,  blood 
will  I require  the  life  of  man. 


1 92  Following  the  Gk.  and  Lat.  The  Heb.  has,  all  with  which  the  ground  teems. 

m 94  For  a specific  illustration  of  this  law,  cf.  II.  Sam.  411. 

67 


Gen.  II1]  CONSEQUENCES  OF  HUMAN  DEGENERACY  [Gen.  9P 


Age  of 
Noah 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

6Whoever  sheds  man's  blood, 

By  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed  ; 

For  in  the  image  of  God  made  he  man. 

7But  do  you  be  fruitful  and  become  numerous  ; 
swarm  over  the  earth  and  become  numerous  upon  it. 

28 And  Noah  lived  after  the  flood  three  hundred 
and  fifty  years.  29Thus  all  the  days  of  Noah  were 
nine  hundred  and  fifty  years  ; then  he  died. 


IV 

THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  NATIONS,  Gen.  KB-ll9 

§9.  The  Story  of  the  Tower  of  Babel,  Gen.  ll1-9 
Early  Judean  N arratives 

original  Gen.  11  xNow  the  earth  was  of  one  language  and  of  one  speech.  2And 
the  race  it  came  to  pass  as  they  journeyed  from  the  easta  that  they  found  a plain 
in  the  land  of  Shinar  [Babylonia],19  and  dwelt  there.  3Then  said  they 
one  to  another,  Come,  let  us  make  bricks  and  burn  them  thoroughly. 
And  they  had  brick  for  stone  and  bitumen  for  mortar.  4They  also 
Building  said,  Come,  let  us  build  us  a city  and  a tower,  with  its  top  in  the  sky  ; 
andty  thus  let  us  make  ourselves  a name,  so  that  we  may  not  be  scattered 
t°wer  a))roa(]  Upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth.0  5But  Jehovah  came  down  to 
Jeho-  see  the  city  and  the  tower,  which  the  children  of  men  had  built.  6Then 
disap-  Jehovah  said,  Behold,  they  are  one  people  and  they  all  have  one  lan- 
proval  guage  ; and  this  is  the  beginning  of  their  achievement,  but  henceforth 
nothing  which  they  purpose  to  do  will  be  too  difficult  for  them.  7 Come, 
origin  let  us  go  down  and  there  confound  their  language,  that  they  may  not 
entian^  understand  one  another’s  speech.  8So  Jehovah  scattered  them  abroad 
fuages  from  t}jence  Upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth  ; and  they  ceased  building 
races  the  city.  9Therefore  they  called  its  name  Babel  [Confusion], d because 


§ 9 Although  this  section,  as  it  now  stands  in  Genesis,  follows,  it  logically  precedes  the  table 
of  the  nations  in  10,  for  it  begins  with  the  statement  that  all  people  spoke  the  same  language  and 
dwelt  together.  Its  style,  representation,  and  primitive  conceptions  of  Jehovah  all  indicate  that 
it  belongs  to  the  earliest  group  of  Judean  prophetic  narratives.  It  is  the  logical  continuation  of 
the  stories  of  man’s  fall,  of  Lamech,  of  Noah,  the  first  vineyard-keeper,  and  of  the  sons  of  God 
and  the  daughters  of  men.  It  gives  the  earliest  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  different  races, 
and  this  in  turn  furnishes  the  natural  introduction  to  the  prophetic  narratives  concerning  the 
origin  and  experiences  of  the  ancestors  and  kinsmen  of  the  Hebrews  which  follow.  The  con- 
clusions of  the  later  Judean  prophetic  and  the  priestly  accounts  of  the  flood,  together  with  their 
continuations  in  the  table  of  the  nations,  10,  contain  parallel  but  very  different  explanations 
of  how  the  various  races  came  into  existence. 

a ll2  So  Gk.,  Syr.,  and  Lat.  The  Heb.,  although  usually  translated  eastward,  reads  literally 
from  eastward. 

b ll2  The  biblical  designation  of  ancient  Babylonia.  Possibly  a later  abbreviation  of  the  old 
Babylonian  name,  “Sumer  and  Akkad. 'I 

c ll4  There  are  suggestions  in  this  section — and  especially  in  this  verse — that  the  present 
story  is  made  up  of  two  different  narratives,  one  of  which  told  of  the  building  of  a city  (Babylon) 
with  the  view  to  gaining  renown  thereby,  and  the  other  of  the  construction  of  a tower,  with  its 
top  in  the  sky,  that  it  might  become  a rallying  point. 

dip  From  similarity  of  sound  to  the  Hebrew  word,  balal  meaning  confusion.  The  Babylo- 
nian inscriptions  have  shown  that  the  name  Babylon  is  composed  of  two  words,  meaning  Gate  o 
the  Gods. 


68 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  TOWER  OF  BABEL  [Gen.  13» 

there  Jehovah  confounded  the  language  of  the  whole  earth  and  there 
Jehovah  scattered  them  over  the  face  of  the  whole  earth. 


§ 10.  Origin  and  Relationships 
Later  Judean  Prophetic 


Gen.  9 18aAnd  the  sons  of  Noah 
who  went  forth  from  the  ark  were 
Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth.  19aThese 
three  were  the  sons  of  Noah,  10lb 
and  to  them  were  sons  born  after 
the  flood,  919b  and  of  these  was  the 
whole  earth  overspread. 


of  the  Nations,  Gen.  918-  ,9’  10 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 
THESE  ARE  THE  GENERATIONS  OF  THE 
SONS  OF  NOAH,  SHEM,  HAM,  AND 
JAPHETH 

10  32These  are  the  families  of  Origin 
the  sons  of  Noah,  after  their  gen-  different 
erations,  in  their  nations  : and  of raceb 
these  were  the  nations  divided  in 
the  earth  after  the  flood. 


2The  sons  of  Japheth  : Gomer,  Distant 
Magog,  Madai,  Javan,  Tubal,  Me-  ancfern 
shech,  and  Tiras.  3The  sons  of^sterr 
Gomer  : Ashkenaz,  Riphath,  and  peoples 
Togarmah.  4The  sons  of  Javan  : 
Elishah,  Tarshish,  Kittim,  and 
Rodanim.  5From  these  were  spread 
abroad  the  maritime  nations.  These 
are  the  sons  of  Japheth e in  their  lands, 
each  according  to  his  language,  ac- 


§ 10  That  this  table  of  the  nations  is  composite  is  shown  by  the  presence  of  two  general 
introductions  and  also  duplicate  introductions  to  the  genealogy  of  Ham,  Cush,  and  Shem.  Fur- 
thermore, in  the  one  Havilah  and  Sheba  are  sons  of  Cush,  10\  and  in  the  other  they  are  sons  of 
Joktan,  1028-  29,  the  descendant  of  Shem.  The  style  of  the  two  lists  is  also  distinct.  One  list  is 
that  of  the  later  Judean  prophetic  writers,  and  continues  their  version  of  the  flood  tradition, 
918' 19.  It  is  interspersed  with  supplemental  traditions,  108>  10'  12 - 14'  19,  and  plays  on  the  sound  of 
words,  1025.  The  other  consists  simply  of  a list  of  names  in  the  characteristic  form  and  with  the 
formulas  of  the  late  priestly  narrators  (cf.  101'31.32).  The  prophetic,  which  is  the  older,  reflects 
the  limited  knowledge  of  the  Hebrews  regarding  their  neighbors  in  the  days  before  the  exile; 
while  the  priestly,  coming  after  that  great  event  which  brought  the  Jews  into  contact  with  more 
distant  peoples,  includes  the  nations  of  Asia  Minor  and  the  coast  lands  of  the  Mediterranean, 
102’  4,  mentioned  first  by  O.T.  writers  like  Ezekiel,  who  lived  after  586  B.c.  As  they  are  pre- 
served, the  two  narratives  have  been  so  closely  welded  together  that  in  certain  places  in  each 
extracts  from  the  other  have  been  substituted,  so  that  we  probably  have  neither  in  its  original 
completeness.  While  the  principle  of  arrangement  is  nominally  ethnological,  and  all  the  nations 
(like  the  Egyptians  and  Canaanites)  and  cities  (like  Sidon)  are  treated  as  individuals,  the  real 
canon  of  classification  is  obviously  roughly  geographical,  cf . Map  opp.  p.  49.  Thus  the  Canaan- 
ites, whose  language  and  institutions  all  proclaim  their  Semitic  origin,  are  classified  with  the 
Egyptians  and  Philistines  as  sons  of  Ham,  106'  19,  while  the  Elamites  are  associated  with  the 
Assyrians  as  sons  of  Shem,  1022.  The  sons  of  Japheth  (the  wide  or  far  extended)  are  the  distant 
peoples  to  the  north  and  west  of  Palestine,  including  the  Phcenieian  colonies  on  the  shores  and 
islands  of  the  Mediterranean:  the  sons  of  Ham  (the  hot  or  burned ) are  the  peoples  to  the  south, 
southeast  and  southwest  of  Palestine,  including  the  old  inhabitants  of  Canaan  and  the  tribes 
living  in  the  hot  desert,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Africa  who  came  within  the  horizon  of  the  Hebrews. 
The  sons  of  Shem  (name) , the  renowned  races,  include  the  people  to  the  east  of  Canaan , who  figure 

Crominently  in  antiquity,  and  whom  the  Hebrews  regarded  as  ancestors  or  kinsmen.  In  the 
iblical  classification  the  usual  order  of  the  sons  of  Noah  is  reversed,  that  the  table  may 
culminate  in  the  descendants  of  Shem.  The  primary  aim  of  this  chapter  was  clearly  to  explain 
the  origin  and  relationship  of  the  nations  known  to  the  Israelites;  its  permanent  religious  signifi- 
cance, however,  is  the  recognition  and  concrete  declaration  that  all  the  races  of  the  earth 
belong  to  the  same  great  family,  and  therefore  are  kinsmen. 

• 105b  The  fixed  formula  of  the  priestly  writer  in  2°.  31  indicates  that  these  words  have  fallen 
out  of  the  original  text.  The  antecedent  of  these  in  6a  is  clearly  the  sons  of  Javan  in  4,  not  all  the 
Hons  of  Japheth,  for  those  mentioned  in  2'  3 are  inland  peoples. 

69 


South- 
eastern, 
south- 
ern and 
Canaan- 
itish 
peoples 


Babylo- 
nian, 
Arame- 
an  and 
Arabian 
ances- 
tors of 
the 

Hebrews 


Gen.  918]  BEGINNINGS  OF  THE  NATIONS 


[Gen.  105 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 


9 18h  And  Ham  was  the  father  of 
Cush,  Mizraim  [Egypt],  and  Canaan. 

10  8And  Cush  begat  Nimrod  ; he  began  to  be  a 
mighty  one  in  the  earth.  9He  was  a mighty  hunter  before 
Jehovah  : wherefore  it  is  said,  Like  Nimrod,  a mighty  hunter  be- 
fore Jehovah.  10 And  the  beginning  of  his  kingdom  was 
Babel,  Erech,  Accad,  and  Calneh,  in  the  land  of 
Shinar.  11Out  of  that  land  he  went  forth  into  Assyria 
and  built  Nineveh,  Rehoboth-Ir,  Calah,  12Resen,  be- 
tween Nineveh  and  Calah  (that  is  the  great  city). 
13And  Mizraim  begat  Ludim,  Anamim,  Lehabim, 
Naphtuhim,  14Pathrusim,  Casluhim  (whence  went 
forth  the  Philistines),  and  Caphtorim. 


15 And  Canaan  begat  Sidon,  his  first-born,  and 
Heth,  16and  the  Jebusite,  the  Amorite,  the  Girgashite,  17the 
Hivite,  the  Arkite,  the  Sinite,  18the  Arvadite,  the  Zemarite,  and 
the  Hamathite : fand  afterward  the  families  of  the  Ca- 
naanite  were  spread  abroad,  19so  that  the  boundary  of 
the  Canaanites  was  from  Sidon,  as  far  as  sGerar  (to 
Gaza).11  and  as  far  as  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  and 
Admah  and  Zeboiim,  to  Lasha.1 

21  And  children  were  also  born  to  Shem,  the  father 
of  all  the  children  of  Eber,  the  elder  brother  of 
Japheth.  24 And  Arpachshad  begat  Shelah,  and  She- 
lah  begat  Eber.  25 And  to  Eber  were  born  two  sons  : 
the  name  of  the  one  was  Peleg  [Division],  for  in  his 
days  was  the  earth  divided  ; and  his  brother’s  name 
was  Joktan.  26And  Joktan  begat  Almodad,  She- 
leph,  Hazarmaveth,  Jerah,  7Hadoram,  Uzal,  Diklah, 
280bal,  Abimael,  Sheba,  290phir,  Havilah,  and  Jobab  ; 
all  these  were  the  sons  of  Joktan.  30And  their 
dwelling  place  was  from  Mesha,  as  far  as  Sephar, 
the  mountain  of  the  East. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

cording  to  their  families  by  their 
peoples. 

GAnd  the  sons 
Mizraim  [Egypt], 


of  Ham : Cush, 
Put,  and  Canaan. 

7And  the  sons 
of  Cush : Seba, 
Havilah,  Sabtah, 
Raamah,  and  Sab- 
teca;  and  the  sons 
of  Raamah  : She- 
ba and  Dedan. 
20These  are  the 
sons  of  Ham,  ac- 
cording to  their 
families,  accord- 
ing to  their 
tongues,  in  their 
lands  by  their 
people. 


22The  sons  of 
Shem : Elam, 
Asshur,  Arpach- 
shad, Lud,  and 
Aram.  23  And  the 
sons  of  Aram : Uz, 
Hul,  Gether,  and 
Mash.  31  These 
are  the  sons  of 
Shem,  according 
to  their  families, 
according  to 
their  tongues,  in 
their  lands  by 
their  people. 


I ip19-18*  These  words  seem  to  be  a later  explanatory  note,  anticipating  the  spreading  abroad 
of  the  Canaanites  recorded  in  18b.  Similar  facts  are  inserted  in  the  subsequent  narratives,  e.  g.t 
1519'21.  Cf.  Introd.,  p.  36. 

* 1019  Lit.,  as  you  go  toward. 

h 1019  Gaza,  the  larger  and  better  known  town,  seems  to  have  been  added  to  identify  the 
location  of  Gerar,  which  was  to  the  south.  Cf.  Gen.  201. 

4 1019  Lasha  probably  = Laish  = Dan  (cf.  Judg.  1829). 


70 


Siduna 

Siduna 

SIDON, 


Dimash  ] ku 

DAMASCUS 


HER MON 


TYRE 


ACCHO] 


c,  Astlrat 

,*SHTAROTH-KARNAIM 


cHinatuni 

HANNATHON1 


CsEAjO'F 

\CH1NNERET1I 


M jkida,  Magid 
MEGIDDO 


Otara'i 

EDREI 


3 Sakema 
.SHECHEM 


,la  Irbok,^ 


'SUCCOTH 


Yapu 
Yap  ii  / 
JOPPA 


PENUELX 


A>ial  nun 
'A  JALON 


-Urnsaliiih 

^JERUSALEM 


imli.  Oiiiti / 

i GATH 


Sauk o - 
SOCHO 


Ga$a y 
Azzati 


\ Lakish 

LACHISH 


HEBRON 


Hinianabi 

'ANAB  « 


Sharahan 

SHARUHPN 


1 Arad 
ARAD 


SCALE  OF  MILES 


o Araru 
AROER 


SOUTH  COUNTRY 


REHOBOTH, 


(JTEGEB) 


bormay  & 


PRE-HEBRBEW 

CANAAN 

IN  THE  LIGHT  OF 

THE  EGYPTIAN  MONUMENTS 

(1600-1300  B.C.) 

AND 

THE  ARMARNA  LETTERS 

(About  1400  B.C. ) 
TYPOGRAPHICAL  SYMBOLISM  : 

Egyptian  Names  r 

Amama- Letter  Names  U. 

BIBLICAL  NAMES.  / 


: . 


A s h k a ru  n 
Ashkftlunc 

ASHKELQ 


THE  TRADITIONAL  ANCESTORS  OF  THE 

HEBREWS 

Gen.  ll10-49la,  4928b-5026 


THE  TRADITIONAL  ANCESTORS  OF  THE 

HEBREWS 

I 

THE  ABRAHAM  (ABRAM)  STORIES— THE  BEGINNINGS  OF 
HEBREW  RACIAL  LIFE,  Gen.  ll10-2520 

§11.  Ancestry  and  Family — Origin,  and  Aramean  Kinsmen  of  the  Hebrews, 

Gen.  II10-29 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

THESE  ARE  THE  GENERATIONS  OF  SHEM 

Gen.  11  10bWiien  Shem  was  a hundred  years  old  he  begat  Arpachshad, 
two  years  after  the  flood;  11  and  Shem  lived  after  he  begat  Arpachshad  five 
hundred  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

12 And  when  Arpachshad  had  lived  thirty -five  years,  he  begat  Shelah;  13and 
Arpachshad  lived  after  he  begat  Shelah  four  hundred  and  three  years,  and 
begat  sons  and  daughters. 

The  Abraham  (Abram)  Stories — The  majority  of  these  stories  come  from  the  prophets  of 
Judah  and  Northern  Israel,  who  for  political  and  religious  reasons  were  more  interested  in 
preserving  the  traditions  of  the  early  ancestors  of  the  race  than  were  the  priestly  writers,  who 
conceived  of  the  law  and  the  institutions  which  commanded  their  attention,  as  being  first 
revealed  through  Moses.  Cf.  Introd.,  chap.  IV.  To  Abraham  they  attributed  alone  the  or- 
igin of  the  rite  of  circumcision  and  in  connection  with  its  first  establishment  their  narrative 
suddenly  becomes  very  full.  Cf.  §§  16-19. 

Standing  as  the  traditional  father  of  the  race  among  the  mists  of  dim  antiquity,  it  was  in- 
evitable that  the  character  of  Abraham  should  be  idealized.  In  the  stories  which  they  have 
preserved  each  group  of  biblical  writers  has  sketched  its  ideal.  In  the  Judean  prophetic 
narratives  Abraham  is  the  friend  of  God,  the  man  of  perfect  faith  who  in  a cruel,  selfish,  warring 
age  lived  at  peace  with  all  men.  Indifferent  concerning  the  present,  his  supreme  joy  was  in 
the  divine  promises  regarding  his  descendants.  Although  a son  of  Adam  he  is  represented  as 
attaining  that  intimate  and  harmonious  acquaintance  with  God  which  was  originally  the 
possession  of  the  first  man.  In  the  Ephraimite  narratives  he  is  called  (207)  and  is  pictured  as 
a prophet,  in  dreams  foreseeing  the  future,  intent  only  upon  carrying  out  the  divine  command, 
even  though  it  cost  him  his  dearest  possession  (22),  and  ever  personally  directed  and  protected 
by  God.  In  the  priestly  narrative  he  is  the  ideal  servant  of  the  law,  conforming  punctiliously 
according  to  his  dim  light  to  the  demands  of  the  ritual.  In  the  independent  narrative  of  Gen. 
14  he  figures  in  a very  different  role.  Instead  of  being  afraid  to  call  his  wife  his  own,  he  is  the 
fearless  knight,  who  with  a handful  of  men  puts  to  flight  the  allied  armies  of  Elam  and  Baby- 
lonia, and  magnanimously  restores  to  the  plundered  cities  all  the  captured  spoil,  retaining 
simply  a portion  for  the  priest  of  the  Most  High.  Later  Jewish  traditions  make  him  also  the 
conqueror  of  Damascus;  while  another  group  of  stories  pictures  him  as  the  apostle  of  mono- 
theism, preaching  to  the  idolatrous  Babylonians  and  Egyptians  the  one  true  God.  Another 
represents  him  as  being  borne  in  a fiery  chariot  to  heaven,  where  he  abides,  receiving  the  faithful 
to  his  bosom  (Lk.  1622).  Christians  and  Moslems  further  modified  and  enlarged  the  portrait. 
Thus  in  succeeding  ages  prophets,  priests,  patriots,  and  theologians  all  projected  their  ideals 
into  these  concrete  portraits  of  the  father  of  their  race.  It  is  comparatively  unimportant  whether 
or  not  there  was  a man  at  the  beginning  of  Hebrew  history  who  possessed  all  the  virtues  and 


§ 11  This  section  continues  the  priestly  history,  tracing  the  ancestry  of  the  Hebrews  through 
Abraham  and  Noah  to  Adam.  Its  formulas  are  precisely  the  same  as  in  the  priestly  list  of 
the  antediluvians,  § 3. 


Shem 


Arpach- 

shad 


73 


Shelah 

Eber 

Peleg 

Keu 

Serug 

Nahor 

Terah 

Domes- 
tic histo- 
ry of  the 
house  of 
Terah 


Gen.  1014]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

14 And  when  Shelah  had  lived  thirty  years  he  begat  Eber;  15and  Shelah 
lived  after  he  begat  Eber  four  hundred  and  three  years,  and  begat  sons  and 
daughters. 

16 And  when  Eber  had  lived  thirty -four  years,  he  begat  Peleg;  17and  Eber 
lived  after  he  begat  Peleg  four  hundred  and  thirty  years,  and  begat  sons  and 
daughters. 

18 And  when  Peleg  had  lived  thirty  years,  he  begat  Reu;  19and  Peleg  lived 
after  he  begat  Reu  two  hundred  and  nine  years,  and  begat  sons  and 
daughters. 

20 And  when  Reu  had  lived  thirty-two  years,  he  begat  Serug;  21and  Reu 
lived  after  he  begat  Serug  two  hundred  and  seven  years,  and  begat  sons  and 
daughters. 

22 And  when  Serug  had  lived  thirty  years,  he  begat  Nahor;  23and  Serug  lived 
after  he  begat  Nahor  two  hundred  years,  and  begat  sons  and  daughters. 

24 And  when  Nahor  had  lived  twenty -nine  years,  he  begat  Terah;  25and 
Nahor  lived  after  he  begat  Terah  a hundred  and  nineteen  years,  and  begat 
sons  and  daughters. 

26 And  when  Terah  had  lived  seventy  years,  he  begat  Abram,  Nahor,  and 
Haran.  27 Now  these  are  the  generations  of  Terah.  Terah  begat  Abram, 
Nahor,  and  Haran;  and  Haran  begat  Lot. 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

11  28 And  Harana  died  before  his  father  Terah  in  the  land  of  his  nativity, 
in  Ur  of  the  Chaldees.b  29 And  Abram  and  Nahor  took  for  themselves  wives. 
The  name  of  Abram’s  wife  was  Sarai,  and  the  name  of  Nahor’s  wife,  Milcah, 
the  daughter  of  Haran,  the  father  of  Milcah  and  Jiseah  ,c 


the  spiritual  enlightenment  attributed  to  him  by  later  generations.  Abraham  is  more  than  an 
historical  figure,  he  is  the  embodiment  of  those  exalted  ideals  which  made  the  Israelites  what 
they  were.  In  men  like  Jeremiah,  Nehemiah,  and  Judas  Maccabaeus  the  Abraham  of  the  O .T. 
traditions  certainly  lived. 

The  great  and  permanent  value  of  these  stories  is,  therefore , manifestly  found  in  the  vital 
religious  truth  which  they  illustrate  and  in  the  noble  types  of  character  which  they  present. 
The  student  of  Israel’s  past  also  finds  embedded  in  them  many  historical  facts.  Some  of  them 
clearly  preserve  the  early  beliefs  and  memories  of  the  Hebrews  regarding  their  origin,  migra- 
tions, and  relations  with  their  Semitic  neighbors.  Others  are  more  local,  giving  the  traditional 
origin  of  shrines,  like  Beersheba  and  Beer-lahai-roi.  As  has  already  been  suggested  (p.  9),  it 
is  also  possible  that  the  Abraham,  about  whose  name  the  floating  popular  traditions  and  the 
pride  and  hopes  of  later  generations  centred,  is  an  historical  character.  For  the  origin  and 
early  history  of  these  stories,  cf.  Introd.,  p.  22. 

» 1128, 29  The  sudden  change  of  style  reveals  the  work  of  a prophetic  writer.  The  representa- 
tion is  also  consistent  with  that  of  the  Judean  narratives  in  § 24.  These  verses  appear  to  be  a 
fragment  of  the  originally  longer  Judean  genealogy  for  which  the  priestly  has  been  substituted. 

b II28  It  seems  probable,  although  it  is  by  no  means  certain,  that,  this  reference  to  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees  was  not  found  in  the  original  Judean  narratives.  In  244'  7 ■ 10  Abraham  speaks  of 
Aram  as  the  land  of  his  nativity  (§  24).  In  2220,  2743,  2810,  29s  his  kinsmen  are  all  found  in 
Haran.  The  earliest  Hebrew  traditions  seem  without  exceptipn  to  have  traced  back  the 
ancestors  of  the  race  to  Aram,  not  to  the  southernmost  Babylonian  city  of  Ur.  The  attempt 
to  identify  Ur  with  some  Aramean  city  has  been  made,  but  not  with  great  success.  Ur  of 
Babylonia  and  Haran  were  both  located  on  the  border  of  the  desert  and  were  famous  for  the 
worship  of  the  moon  god  Sin.  The  origin,  however,  of  the  present  tradition,  which  is  repro- 
duced in  the  priestly,  is  not  clear.  It  may,  like  that  of  the  flood,  belong  to  a later  JudeaB 
story,  in  which  case  its  presence  here  and  in  157  are  due  to  an  editor. 

“II30  Regarding  the  setting  of  ll30,  cf.  note  §17. 


74 


Gen.  121] 


THE  MIGRATION  TO  CANAAN 


[Gen.  II31 


Abram’s 
call  and 
depart- 
ure for 
Canaan 


Experi- 
ences in 
Canaan 


§ 12.  Migration  to  Canaan— -Movements  Westward  toward  the  Promised  Land, 

Gen.  U31- 3!,  121*8 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  12  4 * *Now  Jehovah  said  to  Abram,  Go  out 
from  thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and 
from  thy  father’s  house,  to  the  land  that  I will 
show  thee,  2that  I may  make  of  thee  a great  na- 
tion; and  I will  surely  bless  thee,  and  make  thy 
name  great,  so  that  thou  shalt  be  a blessing.®  3X 
will  also  bless  them  that  bless  thee,  and  him  that 
curseth  thee  will  I curse;  so  that  all  the  families  of 
the  earth  shall  invoke  a blessing  like  thine  for 
themselves/  4aSo  Abram  went,  as  Jehovah  had 
commanded  him,  and  Lot  went  with  him. 

6Then  Abram  passed  through  the  land  to  the 
district  of  Shechem,  to  the  oak  of  Moreh  [Divi- 
nation]. And  the  Canaanites  were  then  in  the  land. 
7 And  Jehovah  revealed  himself  to  Abram,  saying, 
To  thy  descendants  will  I give  this  land;  and  there 
he  built  an  altar  to  Jehovah,  who  had  revealed 
himself  to  him.  8 And  he  removed  thence  to  the 
mountain  on  the  east  of  Bethel,  and  pitched  his 
tent,  having  Bethel  on  the  west,  and  Ai  on  the 
east.  And  there  he  built  an  altar  to  Jehovah  and 
called  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

11  31Now  Terah  took  Depart- 

a i i • j t a lire  from 

Abram  ins  son,  and  .Lot  Urana 
his  grandson,  the  son  ltjHa-Q 
of  Haran,  and  Sarai ran 
his  daughter-in-law,  his 
son  Abram’s  wife,  and 
went  forth  with  them 
from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees 
to  go  to  the  land  of  Can- 
aan. So  they  came  to 
Haran,  and  dwelt  there. 

32  And  the  length  of  Te- 
rah’s  lifed  was  two  hun- 
dred and  five  years;  and 
Terah  died  in  Haran. 

12  5Then  Abram  took.  Abram’s 
Sarai  his  wife,  and  Lot  mSm 
his  brother’s  son,  and  all  amiar- 
their  goods  that  they  had  Canaan 
acquired  and  the  persons 
whom  they  had  gotten  in 
Haran;  and  they  went 
forth  to  go  to  the  land  of 
Canaan.  So  they  came 

to  the  land  of  Canaan  ; 

4band  Abram  was  seven- 
ty-five years  old  when  he 
departed  from  Haran. 


i 12  Chap.  12  contains  two  distinct  accounts  of  Abram’s  migration  to  Canaan.  121-4  is  in 

the  flowing  narrative  style  of  the  Judean  prophetic  writer,  cf.  Jehovah,  4.  1 2,b  . 6 *,  like  ll81- s2' 

reveals  the  priestly  vocabulary  and  interest  in  the  exact  age  of  the  patriarchs.  The  logical 

order  of  these  verses  has  here  been  restored.  Vss.  6 *-8  continue  the  prophetic  narrative  of  ui, 

representing  Abram  as  frequently  receiving  personal  revelations  from  Jehovah,  and  as  rearing 

altars  at  the  places  thus  rendered  sacred  by  divine  presence.  Cf.  Introd.,  pp.  33,  34. 

d ll32  Heb.,  days  of  Terah.  The  Sam.  has  probably  preserved  the  original  reading,  175  in- 

stead of  205  years. 

* 122  Syr.,  Gk.,  and  Lat.  have  the  passive  blessed.  While  the  form  of  the  verb  is  that  of  a 

command,  the  construction  expresses  the  idea  of  result.  Blessing  seems  to  have  a double 

meaning,  as  interpreted  in  the  succeeding  verse;  (1)  an  object  of  blessing,  and  (2)  the  embodi- 

ment and  superlative  illustration  of  the  benign  effects  of  Jehovah’s  favor. 

f 123  Lit., in  thee  shall  all  . . . be  blessed  or  bless  themselves . Parallels  show  that  the  latter 

meaning  is  here  intended,  2218 *,  26'.  This  conclusion  is  also  confirmed  by  the  attitude  toward 

other  peoples  which  characterizes  the  early  Judean  narratives.  They  recognize  the  unity  of 

the  human  race;  but  the  recognition  of  Israel’s  universal  mission  to  mankind  belongs  to_a  later 

stage  in  divine  revelation.  The  idea  contained  in  this  peculiar  idiom  is  illustrated  in  4820.  Cf. 

also  1818,  2814.  It  is:  so  altogether  desirable  shall  be  the  lot  of  the  descendants  of  Abram,  that 

all  other  peoples  will  invoke  for  themselves  a similar  blessing. 


75 


Abram’s 
resi- 
dence in 
Egypt 


Isaac  at 
Gerar 


Gen.  129]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES  [Gen.  201 


§ 13.  Deception  regarding  Sarah  (Rebekah) — Relations  with  the  South  Ara- 
bian Tribes,  Gen.  129-13\  20 


Later  Judean 

Gen.  13  9Now  Abram  still  journeyed 
toward  the  South  Country. g 19And  there 
was  a famine  in  the  land,  and  Abram 
went  down  to  Egypt  to  sojourn 
there;  for  the  famine  was  severe  in 
the  land. 

Gen.  261] 

Isaac’s  Deception  regarding  Rebekah,  Gen.  261_u 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  36  xNow  when  a famine  came  in  the  land,  (besides  the  first  famine  that 
was  in  the  days  of  Abraham) , Isaac  went  to  Abimelech  king  of  the  Philistines  to 
Gerar. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Nar- 
ratives 

30  xNow  Abraham  journeyed 
thence11  toward  the  land  of  the  South 
Country  and  he  dwelt  between  Ka- 
desh  and  Shur,  and  sojourned  in 
Gerar. 


§ 13  The  three  narratives  129-13*'  3-  4,  20  and  261-14,  are  obviously  variants  of  the  same  pe- 
culiar story.  The  background  and  the  actors  change,  but  the  themes  are  the  same.  None  of 
the  narratives  stand  in  close  logical  connection  with  those  which  immediately  precede  and  follow 
them.  In  the  first,  129-13'.  3.  4,  there  is  no  place  for  Lot,  who  figures  in  12  and  134-13.  This 
fact  is  recognized  in  13lb'  3.  4 which  were  evidently  introduced  by  later  editors  to  harmonize 
the  story  with  the  following  verses.  The  first  account  of  Abram’s  deception  is  in  the  style  and 
spirit  of  the  Judean  narratives,  but  seems  to  be  from  a later  strand,  and  was  probably  intended 
to  explain  the  wealth  of  the  patriarch  in  13'L  4-13.  It  is  also  more  elaborate  than  the  corre- 
sponding Judean  story  in  261"14. 

As  it  stands  in  Gen.,  the  second  version,  20,  follows  the  account  of  the  birth  of  Isaac  in 
Sarah’s  old  age;  although  it  assumes  that  she  was  young  and  attractive.  Moreover  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  imagine  that  Abraham  twice  practised  the  same  deception  with  the  same  disastrous 
results.  The  explanation  of  the  two  variants  is  found  in  the  fact  that  in  20  the  designation  of 
the  Deity  is  God  ( Elohim ),  and  the  revelation  to  Abimelech  is  through  a dream.  Abraham  is 
also  called  a prophet,  and  the  conception  of  Jehovah  is  more  developed  than  in  the  Judean 
stories.  These  and  other  peculiarities  of  the  narrative  indicate  that  it  was  the  version  current 
among  the  prophets  of  Northern  Israel.  Cf.  Introd.,  pp.  37-40. 

The  third  variant  is  in  many  ways  the  simplest  and  most  primitive.  No  religious  motive 
appears.  To  supply  this  defect  and  to  reconcile  the  story  with  20,  a late  prophetic  editor, 
whose  peculiar  expressions  and  deep  religious  spirit  indicate  that  he  lived  in  the  age  of  Jeremiah, 
amplified  1-6.  In  its  original  form  this  narrative  probably  represents  the  oldest  version  of  the 
story.  Similar  transferences  of  a tradition  from  one  character  and  setting  to  another  are  famil- 
iar phenomena  in  the  literary  history  of  the  ancient  East. 

No  one  can  unhesitatingly  indorse  the  ethical  standards  reflected  in  these  stories.  They 
must  be  recognized  as  an  index  of  the  imperfectly  developed  moral  consciousness  of  the  age 
which  gave  them  birth.  Back  of  them  are  probably  historical  experiences,  not  of  an  individual 
but  of  a tribe.  The  narrative  of  the  journey  to  Egypt  because  of  a famine  and  of  the  plagues 
sent  by  Jehovah  upon  the  Egyptians,  which  render  them  eager  to  hasten  with  gifts  the  de- 
parture of  the  Abraham  clan,  may  well  represent  a dim,  popular  memory  of  the  sojourn  and  exo- 
dus of  the  Hebrews  from  Egypt.  At  least  the  details  of  this  version  reveal  the  influence  of 
that  more  familiar  tradition.  Likewise  the  stories  of  the  wrongs  suffered  at  the  court  of 
Abimelech  of  Gerar,  who  is  later  described  as  king  of  the  Philistines,  261,  may  be  simply  a later 
popular  tradition  of  the  oppression  of  the  Hebrews  by  the  Philistines  in  the  days  preceding 
Saul  and  David.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  a still  older  tradition  lies  back  of  all  these  later 
ariants.  The  Assyrian  historical  inscriptions  have  demonstrated  that  there  was  an  Arabian 
district  in  the  south  of  Canaan  which  bore  the  name  of  Mucri  (cf . map  opp.  p.  71) . Since  this 
was  practically  identical  in  form  wit  h,  the  Hebrew  name  of  Egypt  (Mizraim) , it  was  natural  that 
later  generations  should  confuse  the  two  and  only  remember  the  more  prominent.  Further- 
more, since  the  Philistines  did  not  enter  Canaan  until  a comparatively  late  period,  it  is  more 
than  probable  that  in  the  original  tradition  Abimelech  was  king  of  Mucri . not  of  the  Philistines. 
If  so,  the  striking  points  of  likeness  and  difference  in  the  three  versions  of  the  story  are  explained. 
It  preserves  the  memoirs  of  the  early  relations  between  the  nomadic  ancestors  of  the  Hebrews 
and  the  kindred  Arabian  tribe  of  Mufri,  and  therefore  is  analogous  to  the  stories  concerning 
Hagar,  who  seems  to  have  come  from  this  tribe,  not  from  Egypt.  Cf.  §§  17,  21. 

e 129  Heb.,  Negeb,  the  barren,  rolling,  grazing  lands  to  the  south  of  Judah.  Cf.  map  opp.  p.  71. 
h 201  The  preceding  chapter  tells  of  the  deliverance  of  Lot.  The  context  therefore  gives  no 
suggestion  regarding  the  antecedent  of  thence.  Evidently  the  narrative  is  only  an  extract 
from  the  larger  Ephraimite  prophetic  history. 


Abra- 
ham at 
G-erar 


Recep- 
tion re- 
garding 
Sarai 
and  its 
conse- 
quences 


Gen.  1211]  THE  DECEPTION  REGARDING  SARAH  [Gen.  202 


Later  Judean 

]1Then,  when  he  was  about  to 
enter  Egypt,  he  said  to  Sarai  his 
wife.  Behold  now,  I know  that  you 
are  a woman  fair  to  look  upon; 
12so  that  when  the  Egyptians  see  you , 
they  will  say,  ‘This  is  his  wife’;  and 
they  will  kill  me,  but  will  let  you  live. 
13I  pray  you,  say  you  are  my  sister, 
that  it  may  be  well  with  me  for  your 
sake  and  that  my  life  may  be  spared 
because  of  you.  14 And  it  came  to 
pass  that  when  Abram  had  arrived 
in  Egypt,  the  Egyptians  saw  that  the 
woman  was  very  beautiful.  15The 
princes  of  Pharaoh  also  saw  her  and 
praised  her  to  Pharaoh,  and  the 
woman  was  taken  to  Pharaoh’s 
house.  16 And  he  dealt  well  with 
Abram  for  her  sake  so  that  he  had 
sheep,  and  oxen  and  he-asses,  and 
men-servants,  and  maid-servants, 
and  she-asses,  and  camels.  17But 
Jehovah  plagued  Pharaoh  and  his 
house  with  great  plagues  because  of 
Sarai,  Abram’s  wife. 


Early  Ephraimite 

2Then  Abraham  said  concerning 
Sarah  his  wife.  She  is  my  sister. 
And  Abimelech  king  of  Gerar  sent 
and  took  Sarah.  3But  God  came  to 
Abimelech  in  a dream  of  the  night, 
and  said  to  him,  Behold,  thou  must 
die,* 1  because  of  the  woman  whom 
thou  hast  taken,  for  she  is  married d 
4Now  Abimelech  had  not  come  near 
her;  therefore  he  said,  Lord,  wilt 
thou  slay  even  a righteous  nation? 
5Did  he  not  himself  say  to  me,  ‘She 
is  my  sister?’  and  even  she  herself 
said,  ‘He  is  my  brother.’  In  the 
integrity  of  my  heart  and  the  inno- 
cency  of  my  hands  have  I done  this. 
6Then  God  said  to  him  in  the  dream, 
I indeed  know  that  in  the  integrity 
of  thy  heart  thou  hast  done  this,  and 
I also  prevented  thee  from  sinning 
against  me,  since  I did  not  allow 
thee  to  touch  her.  7Now  therefore 
restore  the  man’s  wife,  (for  he  is  a 
prophet),  and  he  can  intercede  for 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  live.  But  if 


[Gen.  262 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

2And  Jehovah  appeared  to  him  and  said,  Go  not  down  into  Egypt ; dwell  in  the 
land  of  which  I shall  tell  thee,  3Sojourn  in  this  land,  and  I will  be  with  thee  and 
bless  thee;  for  to  thee,  and  to  thy  descendants,  I will  give  all  these  lands,  and  will  estab- 
lish the  oath  which  I swore  to  Abraham  thy  father;  4and  I will  make  thy  descendants  as  many 
as  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  give  to  thy  descendants  all  these  lands ; and  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  shall  invoke  for  themselves  a blessing  like  that  of  thy  descendants,11 5because 
Abraham  obeyed  my  voice  and  kept  my  charge,  my  commandments,  my  statutes,  and  my 
laws.  6So  Isaac  dwelt  in  Gerar. 

7Then  the  men  of  the  place  asked  him  about  his  wife;  and  he  said,  She  is 
my  sister;  for  he  was  afraid  to  say,  My  wife;  lest  the  men  of  the  place  kill  him1 
for  Rebekah;  because  she  was  fair  to  look  upon.  9Now  after  he  had 
been  there  a long  time,  Abimelech  king  of  the  Philistines  once  looked  out  of 
the  window,  and  saw  Isaac  just  as  he  was  caressing™  Rebekah  his  wife. 


| 203  Lit.,  dead  or  about  to  die 
> 203  Heb.,  wife  of  a husband. 
k 264  Cf.  § 12,  note'. 

1 267  Heb. , me.  The  Heb. , contrary  to  Eng.  usage,  often  retains  the  first  person  in  indirect 
address. 

“ 26s  The  Heb.  vers,  contains  a play  on  the  words  Isaac;  ylshak  mesahek. 

77 


Decep- 
tion re- 
garding 
Sarah 
and  the 
divine 
warning 
to  Abim- 
elech 


Revela- 
tion and 
divine 


Decep- 
tion re- 
garding 
Rebekah 


The  dis- 
closure 
and 

Abram’s 
depart- 
ure from 
Egypt 


The  pub- 
lic dis- 
closure 
of 

Isaac’s 

decep- 

tion 


Gen.  1218] 


THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 


[Gen.  207 


Later  Judean 


18  Therefore 
Pharaoh  called 
Abram  and  said, 
What  is  this  that 
you  have  done  to 
me?  why  did  you 
not  tell  me  that  she 
was  your  wife  ? 
19 why  did  you  say, 
‘She  is  my  sister,’ 
so  that  I took  her 
to  be  my  wife  ? 
Now  therefore 
here  is  your  wife, 
take  her  and  go. 
20 And  Pharaoh 
gave  his  men 
charge  concerning 
him,  to  conduct 
him  on  his  way 
with  his  wife,  and 
all  that  he  had. 


Early  Ephraimile 

thou  restore  her  not  at  once,  know  that  thou  shalt 
surely  die,  together  with  all  that  are  thine.  8 And  Abim- 
elech  rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  summoned  all  his 
servants,  and  when  he  had  told  all  these  things  in  their 
hearing,  the  men  were  greatly  afraid. 

9Then  Abimelech  called  Abraham  and  said  to  him,  Thepub- 
What  have  you  done  to  us  ? and  wherein  have  I sinned  closure 
against  you,  that  you  would  have  brought  on  me  and  my  Abra- 
kingdom  a great  sin  ? you  have  done  to  me  deeds  that  contes- 
ought  not  to  be  done.  10 Abimelech  said  to  Abraham, slon 
What  did  you  have  in  view  that  you  have  done  this  thing  ? 

11  And  Abraham  answered,  Because  I thought,  ‘Surely 
the  fear  of  God  is  not  in  this  place  and  they  will  slay  me 
for  my  wife’s  sake.’  12Moreover,  she  is  indeed  my  sis- 
ter, the  daughter  of  my  father,  though  not  the  daughter 
of  my  mother;  and  she  became  my  wife.  13So  it  came 
to  pass,  when  God  caused  me  to  wander  from  my  fa- 
ther’s house  that  I said  to  her,  ‘This  is  the  kindness 
which  you  shall  do  me;  at  every  place  to  which  we  come, 
say  of  me,  “He  is  my  brother”  ’. 

14 Abimelech  then  took  sheep  and  oxen,  and  male  Abime- 
and  female  servants  and  gave  them  to  Abraham,  and  requital 
restored  Sarah  his  wife  to  him.  15 Also  Abimelech  said  5 ham  and 
Behold,  my  land  is  before  you;  dwell  wherever  you  war! 
please.  16And  to  Sarah  he  said,  See,  I have  given 
your  brother  a thousand  pieces  of  silver;  behold,  it  is  a 
compensation  for  all  that  has  befallen  you; n and  in 


Gen.  269] 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

9Then  Abimelech  called  to  Isaac,  and  said,  Surely  now  she  is  your  wife; 
therefore  why  did  you  say,  ‘She  is  my  sister?’  Isaac  answered  him,  Verily, 

I said  it,  that  I might  not  die  because  of  her.  10 And  Abimelech  said.  What 
is  this  you  have  done  to  us  ? One  of  the  people  might  have  lain  with 
your  wife  and  so  you  would  have  brought  guilt  upon  us.  11  And  Abimelech 
charged  all  the  people,  saying,  He  that  touches  this  man  or  his  wife  shall 
surely  be  put  to  death. 

12Then  Isaac  sowed  in  that  land,  and  reaped  in  the  same  year  an  increase  of  Isaac’s 
a hundred  fold,  for  Jehovah  blessed  him.  13And  the  man  became  rich,0  and  ty  and 
grew  richer  and  richer  until  he  became  very  rich0 ; 14for  he  had  possessions  of 
flocks,  and  possessions  of  herds,  and  a great  household;  so  that  the  Philis- 
tines envied  him. 


“ 2016  Heb.  lit.,  a covering  of  the  eyes  for  all  that  are  with  you.  A slight  emendation  of  the 
text  gives  the  above  reading. 

° 2613  Heb.,  great. 


78 


Gen.  131]  THE  COVENANT  WITH  ABIMELECH  [Gen.  20'6 


Later  Judean 

13  xThus  Abram 
went  up  out  of 
Egypt,  together 
with  his  wife  and 
all  that  he  had , and 
Lot  with  him,  into 
the  South  Country. 


Early  Ephraimite 

every  respect  you  are  vindicated.11  17 Thereupon  Abra- 
ham prayed  to  God  and  God  healed  Abimelech,  and  his 
wife,  and  his  female  servants,  so  that  they  bore  children 
(18for  Jehovah  had  completely  closed  all  the  wombs  of  the  house 
of  Abimelech,  because  of  Sarah,  Abraham’s  wife). 


§ 14.  Abraham’s  (Isaac’s)  Covenant  with  Abimelech  at  Beersheba — Alliances 
with  the  South  Arabian  Tribes,  Gen.  2 l 22-84 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 

Agree-  Gen.  21  25Now  as  often  as  Abra- 
gardinj*  ham  reproved  Abimelech  because  of 
at  Beer-  the  well  of  water  which  Abimelech ’s 
3 e a servants  had  appropriated,  26 Abim- 
elech said,  I do  not  know  who  has 
done  this  thing,  neither  have  you  told 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

21  22Now  it  came  to  pass  at  that 
time,  that  Abimelech  and  Phicol  the 
captain  of  his  host  spoke  to  Abra- 
ham, saying,  God  is  with  you  in  all 
you  do . 23Now  therefore  take  oath  to 


Gen.  2615 

Isaac’s  Covenant  with  Abimelech  at  Beersheba— Gen.  2615-33 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  26  15Now  all  the  wells  which  Isaac’s  father’s  servants  had  dug  in  the  days 
of  Abraham  his  father,  the  Philistines  had  stopped,  and  filled  with  earth.  1 -’And  Abim- 
elech said  to  Isaac,  Go  from  us;  for  you  are  much  mightier  than  we.  17So 
Isaac  departed  thence,  and  encamped  in  the  valley  of  Gerar,  and  dwelt 
there. 

ISThen  Isaac  dug  again  the  wells  of  water,  which  they  had  dug  in  the  days  of 


p 2016  Am.  R V in  respect  of  all  you  are  righted.  Another  possible  translation  is,  before  all 
you  are  vindicated. 

§ 14  Three  distinct  versions  of  this  story  are  found,  each  localized  at  Beersheba,  and  each 
suggesting  an  independent  tradition  regarding  the  origin  of  the  name  of  that  famous  well  and 
sanctuary.  One  derives  the  word  sheba  from  the  Heb.  root  meaning  seven  ( Well  of  seven), 
because  Abraham  sealed  his  covenant  with  Abimelech  by  giving  him  seven  lambs,  2 1 28-30 . 32.  33_ 
The  other  two  versions  derive  it  from  the  similar  Heb.  word  to  swear  ( Well  of  swearing) . 

In  each  the  covenant  is  made  with  Abimelech,  but  in  2125ff-  his  servants  quarrel  about  the 
wells  with  those  of  Abraham,  while  in  2615ff-  with  the  servants  of  Isaac.  In  2122-24.  27 ■ 3i  there 
is  no  suggestion  of  a quarrel,  but  Abimelech,  not  Abraham,  takes  the  initiative  in  establishing 
a covenant.  These  verses  make  a complete  unit,  continuing  the  Ephraimite  story  of  Abraham’s 
sojourn  in  Gerar  20.  The  term  used  for  the  Deity  and  other  indications  confirm  this  conclusion. 
The  remaining  verses  of  21  present  quite  a different  picture.  While  25  cannot  originally  have 
followed  22_24,  it  has  nothing  in  common  with  the  story  of  Hagar’s  flight,  recounted  in  the  first 
part  of  the  chapter,  except  that  both  are  localized  in  the  South  Country — which  fact  probably 
explains  why  it  was  introduced  in  its  present  setting.  Like  the  Ephraimite  version  and  the 
narrative  of  2615-33,  it  is  the  logical  continuation  of  the  story  of  the  patriarch’s  deception  re- 
garding his  wife.  13’  furnishes  the  connecting  link  with  the  later  Judean  prophetic  tradition 
of  12.  The  term  Jehovah  in  33  and  the  similarity  in  representation  confirm  the  relationship. 
Furthermore  it  is  only  in  the  later  Judean  stories  that  Abraham  is  found  south  of  Hebron, 
while  in  the  early  Judean,  which  precede  and  follow  2125ff-,  he  is  definitely  established  near  that 
ancient  city.  In  combining  the  two  prophetic  stories,  the  later  Judean  has  evidently  been 
abbreviated,  so  that  it  begins  very  abruptly.  2615-33  continues  the  story  found  in  the  first  part 
of  the  chapter;  but  15  and  18  are  plainly  from  the  hands  of  a later  editor,  who  thus  sought  to 
harmonize  this  with  the  story  of  Abraham’s  having  dug  the  wells.  In  its  origin  the  story,  which 
appears  in  these  three  versions,  was  probably  very  old  and  may  well  have  been  derived  from 
the  pre-Hebrew  inhabitants  of  Canaan.  In  its  present  form  it  explains  the  origin  of  the  name 
and  sanctuary  at  Beersheba  and  its  possession'  by  the  Hebrews,  even  though  it  lay  in  the 
territory  of  the  Arab  tribes. 


Agree- 
ment to 
regard 
each 
other’s 
rights 


Depart- 
ure from 
Gerar 


79 


Strife 
over  the 
wells 


Revela- 
tion at 
Beer- 
aheba 


Cove- 
nant at 
Beer- 
sheba 


Gen.  2126]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES  [Gen.  2123 

Later  Judean  Prophetic 

me  nor  have  I heard  of  it  until  to-day. 

28But  when  Abraham  set  seven  ewe 
lambs  of  the  flock  by  themselves, 

29Abimelech  said  to  Abraham,  What 
mean  these  seven  ewe  lambs  which 
you  have  set  by  themselves  ? 30 And 
he  said,  You  shall  take  these  seven 
ewe  lambs  from  my  hand  that  you 
may  be  my  witness  that  I dug  this 
well.  32So  they  made  a covenant 
at  Beersheba,  and  Abimelech  arose 
with  Phicol  the  captain  of  his  host, 
and  they  returned  to  the  land  of  the 
Philistines.  33He,  however,  planted 
a tamarisk  tree  in  Beersheba,  and 
called  there  on  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
the  Everlasting  God.  34 And  Abra- 
ham sojourned  in  the  land  of  the 
Philistines  many  days. 

Gen.  2S18] 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Abraham  his  father — for  the  Philistines  had  stopped  them  after  the  death  of  Abraham — 
and  he  gave  them  the  same  names  as  his  father  had  given  them.  1 9 And  when  Isaac’s 
servants  dug  in  the  valley,  they  found  there  a well  of  living  water.  20Bu 
the  herdsmen  of  Gerar  strove  with  Isaac’s  herdsmen,  saying,  The  water  u 
ours.  Hence  he  called  the  name  of  the  well  Esek  [Contention],  because  they 
contended  with  him.  21  And  when  they  digged  another  well,  they  strove 
for  that  also.  So  he  called  the  name  of  it  Sitnah  [Enmity].  22 And  here- 
moved  from  these  and  dug  another  well;  and  for  that  one  they  did  not 
strive.  Therefore  he  called  the  name  of  it  Rehoboth  [Room],  and  said, 
For  now  Jehovah  hath  made  room  for  us  and  we  shall  be  fruitful  in  the  land 

23 And  he  went  up  from  there  to  Beersheba.  24Then  Jehovah  appeared  tc 
him  the  same  night  and  said,  I am  the  God  of  Abraham  thy  father,  fear  noi 
for  I am  with  thee,  and  will  bless  thee  and  make  thy  descendants  numerou 
for  my  servant  Abraham’s  sake.  25 And  he  built  an  altar  there,  and  called 
upon  the  name  of  Jehovah,  and  pitched  his  tent  there.  There  also  Isaac’? 
servants  dug  a well. 

26Then  Abimelech  went  to  him  from  Gerar  with  Ahuzzath  his  friend,  ano 
Phicol  the  captain  of  his  host.  27 And  Isaac  said  to  them,  Why  have  you 
come  to  me,  since  you  hated  me  and  have  driven  me  away  from  you  ? 28 And 
they  said,  We  saw  plainly  that  Jehovah  was  with  you,  so  we  said,  ‘Let  there 
now  be  an  oath  between  us,  even  between  us  and  you,  and  let  us  make  a 
covenant  with  you,  29that  you  will  do  us  no  harm,  as  we  have  not  touched  you, 
and  as  we  have  done  to  you  nothing  but  good,  and  have  sent  you  away  in 

80 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 

me  here  by  God  that  you  will  not  be 
false  to  me,  nor  to  my  son  nor  to  my 
descendants;  but  that  according  to 
the  kindness  which  I have  shown  you, 
you  will  treat  me,  and  the  land 
wherein  you  have  sojourned.  24And 
Abraham  said,  I will  take  oath.  27 So 
Abraham  took  sheep  and  oxen  and 
gave  them  to  Abimelech,  and  they 
two  made  a covenant  with  each  other. 
31  Therefore  he  called  the  place  Beer- 
sheba [Well  of  the  oath],  because 
there  they  two  took  oath  with  each 
other. 


The  rea- 
sons for 
the  sepa- 
tion 


Lot’s 

choice  of 

the 

lower 

Jordan 

valley 


SEPARATION  OF  ABRAM  AND  LOT  [Gen.  2630 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

peace.’  You  are  now  blessed  of  Jehovah.  30 And  he  made  them  a feast  and 
they  ate  and  drank.  31Then  in  the  morning  they  arose  early  and  took  oaths 
with  each  other;  and  Isaac  sent  them  away,  and  they  departed  from  him  in 
peace.  32 And  it  came  to  pass  the  same  day,  that  Isaac’s  servants  came  and 
told  him  concerning  the  well  which  they  had  dug,  and  said  to  him,  We 
have  found  water.  33 And  he  called  it  Sheba  [Oath],  therefore  the  name  of 
the  city  is  Beersheba  to  this  day. 


§ 15.  Separation  of  Abram  and  Lot — Location  of  the  Kindred  Peoples  of 
Palestine,  Gen.  13s-13 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  13  2Now  Abram  was  very  rich  in  cattle,  in  silver, 
and  in  gold.  ’And  he  went  on  his  journeys  from  the  South 
Country  even  to  Bethel  to  the  place  where  his  tent  had  been  at  the 
beginning  between  Bethel  and  Ai,  Ho  the  place  of  the  altar,  which 
he  had  made  there  at  the  first,  and  there  Abram  called  on  the  name 
of  Jehovah.  5 And  Lot  also,  who  went  with  Abram,  had 
flocks  and  herds  and  tents,  6bso  that  they  could  not  dwell 
together.  7And  when  there  was  a strife  between  the 
herdsmen  of  Abram’s  cattle  and  the  herdsmen  of  Lot’s 
cattle  (and  the  Canaanite  and  the  Perizzite  dwelt  then  in  the  land), 
8Abram  said  to  Lot,  Let  there  be  no  strife,  I beg  of  you, 
between  me  and  you  and  between  my  herdsmen  and  your 
herdsmen;  for  we  are  kinsmen.  9Is  not  the  whole  land 
before  you  ? separate  yourself,  I pray  you,  from  me.  If 
you  go  to  the  left  then  I will  go  to  the  right ; or  if  you  go  to 
the  right,  then  I will  go  to  the  left. 

10Then  Lot  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  beheld  all  the  Plainq 
of  the  Jordan  that  it  was  well  watered  everywhere  (before 
Jehovah  destroyed  Sodom  and  Gomorrah) , like  the  garden 
of  Jehovah,  like  the  land  of  Egypt,  as  far  as  Zoar.r  llaSo 
Lot  chose  for  himself  all  the  Plain  of  the  Jordan;  and  Lot 
journeyed  east;  12band  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  the  Plain,  and 
moved  his  tent  as  far  as  Sodom.  13(Now  the  men  of 
Sodom  were  exceedingly  wicked  and  sinners  against 
Jehovah.)3 


Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

13  6aNow  the 
land  was  not 
able  to  bear 
them  that  they 
might  dwell  to- 
gether for  their 
goods  were 
many.  ubSo 
they  separated 
themselves  the 
one  from  the 
other.  12aAbram 
dwelt  in  the  land 
of  Canaan. 


§ 15  The  main  narrative  which  illustrates  Abram’s  generosity  and  disregard  for  material 
possessions,  is  obviously  from  the  Judean  source,  as  is  shown  by  the  name  of  the  Deity  and  by 
such  expressions  as,  garden  of  Jehovah , in  10,  which  recalls  the  prophetic  story  of  the  garden 
of  Eden  in  Gen.  2.  Vss.  3-  4 connect  the  story  of  the  sojourn  in  Egypt  with  the  older  account 
of  the  separation  from  Lot.  Vs.5  is  the  original  sequel  of 2.  Vs. 13  looks  forward  to  the  prophetic 
account  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom  in  19.  Vss.  6a-  llb-  12a,  however,  represent  the  brief  priestly 
account  of  the  separation,  for  they  state  in  the  language  of  the  later  writers  facts  previously 
presented  in  the  prophetic  version.  Cf.  2-  6b-  lla. 

1310  Lit.,  Circle  of  the  Jordan.  Basin  would  perhaps  be  a more  appropriate  translation  of 
the  Heb.  and  more  descriptive  of  the  southern  end  of  the  Jordan  valley  which  broadens  out  so 
that  it  is  about  fourteen  miles  across  opposite  Jericho. 
r 1310  Lit.,  As  you  go  toward. 

■ 1313  Introduced  parenthetically  in  anticipation  of  the  story  of  Sodom’s  destruction,  § 20. 


81 


Gen.  1318]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES  [Gen.  171 


§ 16.  The  Divine  Covenant  and  Promise — Title  of  the  Hebrews  to  Canaan, 
g Gen.  1314~18,  15,  17M4 


Later  Judean 

Promise  Gen.  1318Then 
Abram’s  Abram  moved  his 

descend-  , , , 

ants  tent,  and  came 

be  many  and  dwelt  by  the 
and  thSit  1 t*  -»  r 
they  oaks  oi  Mamre, 

possess  which  are  in  lleb- 

of0*nd  ron,  and  built 

naan  there  an  altar  to 

Jehovah. 

15  lb’dThen  the 


Earlxj  Ephraimite 

15  laAfter  these 
things,  12ba  deep 
sleep  fell  upon 
Abram  lcandGod 
spoke  in  a vision 
saying,  Fear  not, 
Abram,  I am  thy 
shield.  3aBut 
Abram  said,  Be- 
hold , to  me  thou 


Late  Prophetic 

13  14 Jehovah 
said  to  Abram, 
after  Lot  had 
separated  from 
him.  Lift  up 
now  thine  eyes, 
and  look  from 
the  place  where 
thou  art,  north- 
ward, south- 


Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

17  1 W h e n 
Abram  was  nine- 
ty-nine years  old, 
Jehovah  revealed 
himself  to  Abram 
and  said  to  him, 
I am  El-Shaddai 
[God  Almighty]  ;t 
walk  before  me, 


§ 16  Gen.  15,  like  Gen.  4,  presents  many  complex  and  perplexing  problems.  The  evidence 
that  it  is  composed  of  two  different  narratives,  closely  woven  together,  is  conclusive.  Thus  2a 
is  a duplicate  of  3a  and  2b  of  3b.  The  analysis  also  reveals  two  complete  narratives,  in  general 
closely  parallel,  yet  differing  radically  in  details.  As  the  chapter  now  reads,  certain  parts  are 
inconsistent  with  others.  Thus  the  vision  in  1 suggests  the  night  and  in  5 Abram  is  asked  to 
look  up  and  see  the  stars;  but  in  12  the  sun  has  not  set.  The  prediction  in  16  that  the  bondage 
will  last  but  three  generations  is  not  consistent  with  the  400  years  of  13.  Linguistic  differences 
appear  in  the  different  sections. 

Each  of  the  narratives  represented  in  Gen.  seems  to  have  had  its  distinct  version  of  the 
promise  to  the  Israelitish  race  through  Abraham  of  possessing  ultimately  the  land  of  Canaan. 
The  oldest  and  simplest  version  is  from  the  early  Judean  prophetic  source,  12 ; Jehovah  appeared 
to  Abram,  and  said,  To  thy  seed  will  I give  this  land;  and  there  he  built  an  altar  to  Jehovah,  who 
appeared,  to  him.  It  localizes  the  revelation  at  the  oak  of  Moreh  at  Shechem,  when  Abram 
first  arrived  in  Canaan.  The  fifteenth  chapter  seems  to  contain  (1)  a later  more  detailed 
Judean  prophetic  account  of  the  same,  and  (2)  extracts  from  the  early  Ephraimite  narratives. 
The  later  Judean  narrative  is  characterized  by  the  peculiar  expression , the  word  of  J . came,  in  *•  4, 
found  nowhere  else  in  the  Pentateuch,  but  very  common  in  all  the  other  pre-exilic  prophetic 
writings.  Cf.  2 Sam.  74,  Hos.  I1;  Is.  2813;  Jer.  I2,  21.  So  also  the  idioms;  I am  Jehovah  that  drought 
thee  out,  and  to  give  thee  this  land  to  possess  it,  in  7,  and  great  river  in  18,  are  water-marks,  not  of 
the  earlier,  but  of  the  later  pre-exilic  prophetic  writings.  Furthermore  the  mode  of  symboliz- 
ing a covenant  by  passing  between  the  severed  pieces  of  the  sacrifice ,is  similar  to  that  in  vogue 
in  the  days  of  Jeremiah.  Cf.  Jer.  3418. 

It  is  generally  recognized  that  Gen.  14  contains  a story  derived  from  a source  entirely  distinct 
from  those  represented  in  the  preceding  and  following  chapters.  Logically  15  immediately 
follows  13:  the  original  sequence  of  Abram’s  generous  act  in  yielding  to  Lot  was  the  divine 
assurance  that  his  reward  should  be  exceedingly  great,  151,  and  the  promise  of  a lineal  heir, 
who  should  inherit  the  land,  the  title  to  which  is  conferred  by  the  divine  covenant. 

The  remaining  verses  of  15  also  constitute  a complete  and  consistent  unit.  The  revelation 
comes  to  Abram,  not  in  the  daytime,  as  in  the  Judean  version  of  the  story,  but  in  a vision  at 
night  (cf.  la'  6),  as  usually  in  the  Ephraimite  narratives.  In  response  to  Abram’s  complaint 
that  he  has  no  heirs  3a,  he  is  assured  that  his  descendants  shall  be  as  numerous  as  the  stars3, 
and  shall  return  to  occupy  Canaan  after  residing  for  three  generations16  in  a foreign  land.  Idi- 
oms such  as  after  these  times,1  and  Amorite,K  confirm  the  conclusion  that  here  and  in  connection 
with  the  all-important  promises  to  the  race,  the  citations  from  the  early  Ephraimite  prophetic 
narratives  are  first  introduced  into  Genesis.  The  definite  statement  that  the  sojourn  in  Egypt 
would  last  just  400  years  (which  conflicts  with  the  estimate  in  16)  and  the  last  clause  in  14  (cf. 
goods,  136a)  are  evidently  from  a later  priestly  editor. 

The  importance  of  this  traditional  title  to  Canaan  in  the  minds  of  the  Hebrews  is  further 
demonstrated  by  the  presence  of  still  another  brief  version  of  the  story  in  1314-17.  Its  flowing 
style  and  use  of  the  term  Jehovah  indicates  that  it  comes  from  the  prophets  of  Judah.  Its 
promises  exceed  those  found  in  the  preceding  versions.  Its  hortatory  tone  also  suggests  that 
it  is  from  the  evangelical  school  of  writers,  which  wrote  the  book  of  Deuteronomy.  Cf.  Introd., 
pp.  42,  43. 

Gen.  17  contains  the  late  priestly  version  of  the  divine  promise  to  Abram  and  culminates  in 
the  third  great  covenant  thus  far  recorded  in  this  gioup  of  narratives.  It  is  sealed  by  the  rite 
of  circumcision,  which  is  represented  as  being  first  revealed  to  Abraham.  For  the  prophetic 
theories  regarding  the  origin  of  this  widespread  institution,  cf.  §§  61  and  109. 

1 171  The  priestly  narratives  suggest  the  orderly,  progressive  nature  of  divine  revelation  by 
the  different  names  whereby,  according  to  them,  the  Deity  was  known  in  succeeding  ages. 
They  assume  that  at  the  creation,  it  was  simply,  God,  Elohim;  to  the  patriarchs,  El-Shaddai, 
283,  3511,  483,  Ex.  83;  and  to  Moses,  Jehovah,  Ex.  82-7.  The  derivation  of  Shaddai  is  not  certain. 
It  may  come  from  the  verb  to  destroy,  hence  the  Destroyer,  the  Almighty,  or  to  throw,  or  it  may 
be  composite  and  equivalent  to  the  Sufficient  (Ho  Hikanos  of  Aquila  and  Theodotion). 

82 


Gen.  151]  THE  DIVINE  COVENANT  PROMISE  [Gen.  1314, 171 


Later  Judean 

word  of  Jehovah 
came  to  Abram 
saying,  Thy  re- 
ward is  exceed- 
ingly great.  2aBut 
Abram  said,  O 
Lord  Jehovah, 
what  wilt  thou 
give  me?  I go 
childless,  3band, 
indeed,  one  born 
in  my  house  is 
mine  heir. 
4Thereupon  the 
word  of  Jehovah 
came  to  him,  say- 
ing, this  man  shall 
not  be  thine  heir, 
but  he  that  shall 
come  forth  from 
thine  own  body 
shall  be  thine 
heir.  6 And  he  be- 
lieved in  Jehovah; 
and  Jehovah  reck- 
oned it  to  him  as 
righteousness. 

7And  he  said  to 
him,  I am  Jeho- 
vah that  brought 
thee  out  of  Ur  of 
the  Chaldees,  to 
give  to  thee  this 
land  to  inherit  it. 
8 And  he  said,  O 
Lord  Jehovah, 
how  shall  I know 
that  I shall  in- 
herit it  ? 


Early  Ephraimite 

hast  given  no  off- 
spring, 2band  he 
that  shall  be  pos- 
sessor of  my  house 
is  Eliezer  of  Da- 
mascus.11 5Then 
[God]  caused  him 
to  go  outside  and 
said.  Look  now 
toward  heaven, 
and  number  the 
stars,  if  thou  art 
able  to  number 
them ; and  he  said 
to  him,  So  shall 
thy  descendants 
be. 

13He  also  said 
to  Abram,  Know 
certainly  that  thy 
descendants  shall 
be  resident  aliens 
in  a land  that  is 
not  theirs , and 
shall  serve  them; 
and  they  shall 
afflict  them  four 
hundred  years. 
14But  also  that  na- 
tion, whom  they 
shall  serve,  will  I 
judge,  and  after- 
ward they  shall 
come  out  with 
many  goods.  15But 
thou  shalt  go  to 
thy  fathers  in 
peace;  thou  shalt 
be  buried  in  a 


Late  Prophetic  Priestly  Narra- 

ward,  eastward,  " ‘ 
and  westward;  and  be  perfect, 
15for  all  the  land  2and  I will  make 
which  thou  my  covenant 
seest,  I will  give  between  me  and 
to  thee  and  to  thee  and  will 
thy  descendants  make  thy  de- 
forever. 16And  scendants  exceed- 
I will  make  thy  ingly  numerous, 
descendants  as  3Then  Abram  fell 
the  dust  of  the  on  his  face:  and 
earth,  so  that  if  God  talked  with 
a man  can  num-  him  saying,  4As 
ber  the  dust  of  for  me,  behold, 
the  earth,  then  my  covenant  is 
may  thy  de-  with  thee,  and 
scendants  also  thou  shalt  be  the 
be  numbered.  father  of  a mul- 
17 Arise,  walk  titude  of  nations, 
through  the  5Neither shall  thy 
length  and  name  any  longer 
breadth  of  the  be  called  Abram, 
land ; for  to  thee  but  thy  name 
will  I give  it.  shall  be  Abra- 
ham;4 for  the  fa- 
ther of  a multi- 
t u d e of  nations 
have  I made  thee. 
6And  I will  make  thee  exceedingly 
fruitful,  and  will  make  nations  of 
thee,  and  kings  shall  spring  from 
thee.  7 And  I will  establish  my  cove- 
nant between  me  and  thee  and  thy 
descendants  after  thee  throughout 
their  generations  for  an  everlasting 
covenant,  to  be  a God  to  thee  and  to 
thy  descendants  after  thee.  8 And  I 
will  give  to  thee,  and  to  thy  descend- 
ants after  thee,  the  land  of  thy  so- 


u 152b  Heb.  is  obscure.  Syr.  and  Chaldee,  Eliezer  the  Damascene. 

v 175  According  to  the  priestly  writers  the  new  stage  in  revelation  is  marked,  not  only  by  the 
change  in  the  name  of  God,  but  also  by  that  of  the  patriarch  and  later  that  of  his  wife,  1716.  Cl. 
that  of  Jacob  to  Israel  in  32M.  They  represent  the  later  attempts  to  explain  these  double  names. 
For  another  explanation  cf.  note  § 17.  While  the  popular  derivation  of  the  name,  Abraham, 
here  suggested  rests  simply  on  similarity  of  sound,  its  real  etymology  cannot  be  definitely  de- 
termined. Possibly  it  is  simply  a longer  form  of  Abram,  which  is  itself  a compound  word, 
meaning  Lofty  father , or  Father  of  the  lofty  one,  or,  more  probably,  The  lofty  one  ( Ham ) is 
father.  The  name  appears  on  a contract  tablet  of  the  reign  of  Apil-Sin,  the  grandfather  of 
Hammurabi,  who  lived  about  2250  b.c.  and  who  figures  as  Amraphel  in  Gen.  14. 

83 


THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 


[Gen.  178 


The  di- 
vine  cov- 
enant 
confirm- 
ing the 
promise 


Rebel 
lion  of 
the  five 
kings 


Early  Ephraimite 

good  old  age . 
16A n d in  the 
fourth  generation 
they  shall  come 
hither  again;  for 
the  iniquity  of  the 
Amorite  is  not  yet 

full. 

9 And  he  said  to  him,  Take  for  me 
a heifer  of  three  years  old,  and  a she- 
goat  of  three  years  old,  and  a ram  of 
three  years  old,  and  a turtle  dove, 
and  a young  pigeon.  10 And  he  took 
for  him  all  these,  and  divided  them 
in  the  middle,  and  laid  each  half  over 
against  the  other;  but  the  birds  he  did 
not  divide.  11  And  the  birds  of  prey 
came  down  upon  the  carcasses,  but 
Abram  drove  them  away.  12a’cAnd 
when  the  sun  was  going  down,w  lo,  a 
horror  of  great  darkness  fell  upon 
him.  17 And  it  came  to  pass  that, 
when  the  sun  had  set  and  it  was  dark, 
there  appeared  a smoking  furnace, 
and  a flaming  torch  that  passed  be- 
tween these  pieces.  18 At  that  time 
Jehovah  made  a covenant  with 
Abram,  saying,  To  thy  descendants  I 
give  this  land,  from  the  river  of 
Egypt  unto  the  great  river,  the  river 
Euphratesx  19(the  Kenite,  the  Kenizzite, 
the  Kadmonite,  20the  Hittite,  the  Perizzite, 
the  Rephaim,  21the  Amorite,  the  Canaanite, 
the  Girgashite,  and  Jebusite). 


Priestly  Narratives 

journings,  all  the  land  of  Canaan, 
for  an  everlasting  possession,  and  I 
will  be  their  God. 


9God  also  said  to  Abraham,  And 
as  for  thee,  thou  shalt  keep  my  cove- 
nant, thou,  and  thy  descendants 
after  thee  throughout  their  genera- 
tions. 10This  is  my  covenant,  which 
ye  shall  keep,  between  me  and  you 
and  thy  descendants  after  thee : every 
male  among  you  shall  be  circumcised. 
11  Whenever  ye  are  circumcised,  the 
flesh  of  your  foreskin  shall  be  a sign 
of  a covenant  between  me  and  you. 
12And  every  male  when  he  is  eight 
days  old,  shall  be  circumcised 
throughout  your  generations,  he  who 
is  born  in  the  house,  or  bought  with 
money  of  any  foreigner  who  is  not  of 
thine  offspring.  13He  who  is  born  in 
thy  house  and  he  who  is  bought  with 
thy  money  must  surely  be  circum- 
cised. Thus  my  covenant  shall  be  in 
your  flesh  for  an  everlasting  covenant. 
14 As  for  the  uncircumcised  male,  who 
is  not  circumcised  in  the  flesh  of  his 
foreskin,  that  one  shall  be  cut  off 
from  his  people;  he  hath  broken  my 
covenant. 


Gen.  1515] 
Later  Judean 


§ 17.  Victory  over  the  Four  Eastern  Kings — Achievements  of  the  Ancestor 
of  the  Hebrews,  Gen.  14 

Independent  Jewish  Tradition 

Gen.  14  xNow  it  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  Amraphel  king  of  Shinar, 
Arioch  king  of  Ellasar,  Chedorlaomer  king  of  Elam,  and  Tidal  king  of  Goiim, 
2that  they  made  war  with  Bera  king  of  Sodom,  and  with  Birsha  king  of 

w 1512  Syr.  and  Lat.  read,  terror  and  great  darkness. 

1 1518b  Except  in  Ex.  2331  the  exact  definition  of  the  boundaries  of  Israel  is  found  only  in  the 
later  prophetic  passages. 

§ 17  Gen.  14  has  few  points  of  contact  either  in  contents  or  literary  style  with  the  other 
Abraham  narratives.  It  is  generally  recognized  that  it  is  derived  from  an  independent  source. 

84 


VICTORY  OVER  THE  FOUR  EASTERN  KINGS  [Gen.  142 

Independent  Jewish  Tradition 

Gomorrah,  Shinab  king  of  Admah,  and  Shemeber  king  of  Zeboiim,  and  the 
king  of  Bela  (that  is,  Zoar).  3 * All  these  joined  together  in  the  vale  of  Siddim 
(that  is,  the  Salt  Sea). 

4Twelve  years  they  had  been  subject  to  Chedorlaomer,  but  in  the  thirteenth 
year  they  had  rebelled.  5Therefore  in  the  fourteenth  year  Chedorlaomer, 
and  the  kings  that  were  with  him,  came  and  smote  the  Rephaim  in  Ashteroth- 
Karnaim,  the  Zuzim  in  Ham,  the  Emim  in  Shaveh-Kiriathaim,  6and  the  Ho- 
rites  in  their  Mount  Seir,  to  El-Paran,  which  is  by  the  wilderness.  7Then  they 
returned  and  came  to  En-Mishpat  (that  is,  Kadesh),  and  smote  all  the  coun- 
try of  the  Amalekites,  and  also  the  Amorites,  who  dwelt  in  Hazazon-Tamar. 

8Thereupon  the  king  of  Sodom  went  out  together  with  the  king  of  Gomor- 
rah, the  king  of  Admah,  the  king  of  Zeboiim,  and  the  king  of  Bela  (that  is, 
Zoar);  and  they  set  themselves  in  battle  array  against  them  in  the  valley  of 


It  represents  the  patriarch  in  the  unparalleled  role  of  a chivalrous  knight,  valiant,  generous, 
very  different  from  the  Abram  who  in  Egypt  and  in  the  court  of  Abimelech  was  afraid  to 
acknowledge  Sarah  as  his  wife,  § 13,  or  the  prophet  whose  eyes  were  fixed  alone  on  God  and 
the  future  of  his  descendants.  The  references  within  the  story  suggest  that  it  logically  belongs 
after  the  separation  from  Lot  and  before  the  account  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom,  § 20. 

Wide  differences  of  opinion  exist  regarding  the  origin  and  historical  value  of  this  chapter. 
Its  assumption  that  populous  cities  once  skirted  the  Dead  Sea  seems  to  be  disproved  by  the 
testimony  of  geology.  The  improbabilities  in  the  story  are  also  patent  and  become  all  the 
more  glaring  when  the  eastern  invaders  are  identified  with  the  kings  of  Elam  and  Baby- 
lonia. The  only  parallels  to  the  story  appear  in  the  late  Jewish  traditions  which  represent 
Abraham  as  conquering  and  occupying  Damascus.  The  literary  style  of  the  narrative  also 
resembles  more  the  late  priestly  than  the  earlier  prophetic  stories.  In  its  present  form  at  least 
the  narrative  appears  to  come  from  a post-  rather  than  a pre-exilic  writer.  It  is  not  improbable, 
also,  that  it  combines  originally  distinct  stories  regarding,  (1)  the  invasion  of  the  Eastern  kings, 

(2)  a victory  of  the  Hebron  chieftain  Abram,  and  (3)  the  blessing  of  Melchizedek.  Although 
in  their  present  literary  form,  these  stories  seem  to  be  late,  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that 
they  do  not  embody  very  old  traditions.  Chedorlaomer  is  clearly  an  Elamite  name  (Kudur- 
Lagamar) . Amraphel  may  well  be  the  later  form  of  the  name  of  the  famous  Babylonian  king 
Hammurabi  who  ultimately  delivered  his  nation  from  the  Elamite  yoke.  Ellasar  is  perhaps 
the  Hebrew  form  of  Larsa,  one  of  the  important  towns  of  southern  Babylonia.  Goiim  may  be 
a variant  for  Gutium,  an  ancient  state  lying  between  Babylonia  and  Media.  The  fact  that  the 

Elamites  ruled  Babylonia  prior  to  2200  b.c.  and  that  these  eastern  powers  at  times  extended 
their  authority  to  the  Mediterranean  is  established  by  the  testimony  of  the  Babylonian  in- 
scriptions. The  evidence,  therefore,  is  reasonably  conclusive  that  the  story  of  the  four  kings 
embodies  genuine  historical  data.  The  record  was  most  probably  kept  in  Babylonia,  where 
the  cuneiform  system  of  writing  was  in  use  from  an  early  period.  The  names  of  the  Palestinian 
cities  might  have  been  preserved  by  Canaanitish  tradition — possibly  in  written  records.  Like- 
wise the  references  to  Melchizedek,  although  probably  introduced  later  into  the  present  stcpry, 

may  rest  upon  a historical  basis.  The  site  of  Solomon’s  temple  was  probably  an  ancient 
Canaanitish  sacred  place.  El  Elyon  (God  Most  High)  was  worshipped  by  the  Phoenicians,  and 

therefore  by  the  Canaanites  as  well  as  the  Hebrews.  Priest-kings  appear  in  earliest  Semitic 

history.  The  name  Melchizedek  is  strikingly  similar  to  Adonizedek,  a later  king  of  Jerusalem, 
mentioned  in  Josh.  10l.  Melchizedek’s  words  are  in  the  form  of  an  ancient  oracle,  which  prob- 
ably represents  the  original  nucleus  of  the  tradition.  It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that 
all  of  the  identifications  suggested  above  are  only  possibilities,  not  certainties.  Until  they  are 
further  proved  or  disproved  by  the  testimony  of  the  monuments,  it  is  exceedingly  hazardous 
to  base  important  conclusions  upon  them. 

The  presence  of  Abraham  in  a story,  the  back  ground  of  which  antedates  the  beginnings  of 
Hebrew  history  by  many  centuries,  is  variously  explained.  By  some  it  is  regarded  simply  as 
the  result  of  the  later  Jewish  tendency  to  exalt  the  traditional  ancestor  of  the  race  by  making 
him  the  conqueror  of  mighty  world-powers  and  the  patron  of  kings.  It  is  perhaps  more  natural 
to  expect  here  also  a basis  of  historical  fact,  in  which  case  Abram  would  be  an  early  Canaanit- 
ish or  possibly  Aramean  hero  who  led  a successful  attack  against  the  eastern  kings.  It  is  by 
no  means  incredible  that  the  record  of  the  incident  was  preserved  in  some  of  the  Canaanitish 
cities  like  Jerusalem,  which  appears  as  an  important  Palestinian  town  long  before  the  advent 
of  the  Hebrews.  The  presence  of  the  two  names  Abram  and  Abraham  may  be  due  to  the  fact 
that  one  of  them  belonged  to  this  early  hero  and  the  other  to  the  immediate  ancestor  of  the 
Hebrews.  Cf.,  however,  note  § 16.  Unfortunately  later  editors  have  conformed  the  usage  of 
the  name  to  the  priestly  explanation  of  175  (cf.  § 16),  so  that  before  175  Abram  always  appears 
and  after  that  verse  Abraham.  The  result  is  that  it  is  impossible  to  determine  what  name 
was  original  to  the  different  narratives.  Thus,  at  almost  every  point,  exact  data  are  lacking 
for  the  definite  solution  of  the  intricate  problems  with  which  this  remarkable  chapter  is  crowded. 

85 


The  pre- 
ceding 
conquest 
of  Pales- 
tine by 
the  east- 
ern 
kings 


Battle 
in  the 
valley  of 
Siddim 


Gen.  14s]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 


Independent  Jewish  Tradition 

Siddim;  9against  Chedorlaomer  king  of  Elam,  Tidal  king  of  Goiim,  Am. 
raphel  king  of  Shinar,  and  Arioch  king  of  Ellasar;  four  kings  against  the  five. 
10Now  the  valley  of  Siddim  is  full  of  bitumen  pits;  when  therefore  the  kings  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  fled,  they  fell  into  them,  but  those  who  remained  fled 
to  the  mountain. 

Sack  of  nThen  they  took  all  the  goods  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  all  their 
and  Go-  provisions  and  went  their  way.  12They  also  took  Lot,  Abram’s  brother’s 
morrah  gon>  w}10  (] we]t  in  Sodom,  and  his  goods  and  departed. 

Abram’s  13But  one  who  had  escaped  came  and  told  Abram  the  Hebrew.  Now  he 
ouspur-  dwelt  by  the  oaks  of  Mamre  the  Amorite,  brother  of  Eshcol,  and  brother  of 

SIXI^  ^ 

Aner,  and  these  were  supporters  of  Abram.  14 When  Abram  heard  that  his 
kinsman  had  been  taken  captive,  he  led  forth  his  trained  men,  born  in  his 
house,  three  hundred  and  eighteen,  and  pursued  as  far  as  Dan.  15Then, 
dividing  his  band  in  order  to  attack  the  kings  by  night, y he  with  his  servants 
smote  them,  and  pursued  them  to  Hobah,  which  is  north  of  Damascus. 
16So  he  brought  back  all  the  goods,  and  also  his  kinsman  Lot,  with  his  goods, 
as  well  as  the  women  and  the  people. 

Meeting  17Then  the  Icing  of  Sodom  went  out  to  meet  him,  after  his  return  from  the 
with  ~ . , 

Meichiz-  defeat  of  Chedorlaomer  and  the  kings  who  were  with  him,  at  the  valley  of 

Shaveh  (that  is,  the  King’s  Vale) . 18Melchizedek  king  of  Salem  also  brought 
out  bread  and  wine;  and  he  was  priest  of  God  Most  High.  19He  blessed  him 
saying, 

Blessed  be  Abram  before  God  Most  High, 

Possessor  of  heaven  and  earth. 

20And  blessed  be  God  Most  High, 

Who  hath  delivered  thy  foes  into  thy  power. 


Restora- 
t ion  of 
the 

poods  of 
the  Sod- 
omites 


Then  Abram  gave  him  a tenth  of  all. 

21  And  the  king  of  Sodom  said  to  Abram,  Give  me  the  persons,  and  take  the 
goods  for  yourself.  22But  Abram  said  to  the  king  of  Sodom,  I have  lifted  up 
my  hand  to  Jehovah,  God  Most  High,  Possessor  of  heaven  and  earth,  23that 
I will  not  take  a thread  nor  a sandal-thong  nor  anything  that  is  yours,  lest 
you  should  say,  I have  made  Abram  rich.  24By  no  means!  Only  that  which 
the  servants  have  eaten,  and  the  portion  of  the  men  who  went  with  me,  Aner, 
Eshcol,  and  Mamre — let  them  take  their  portion. 


§ 18.  Birth  of  Ishmael — Origin  of  the  Ishmaelites,  Gen.  II30,  161 16 


Sarai’s 
presen- 
tation of 
Hagar  to 
Abram 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  11  30Now  Sarai  was  barren; 
children;  16  lbbut  she  had  j 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

she  had  16  laNow  Sarai,  Sarai’s 
Esvp-  Abram’s  wife,  bore  him  tatkfnof 

* Hagar  to 


y 1415  Heb.,  He  divided  himself  against  them  by  night , he  and  his  servants  and  smote  them. 
The  original  is  here  so  elliptical  that  the  meaning  is  obscure,  if  translated  with  bare  literalness. 

§ 18  The  presence  of  two  parallel  narratives  in  Gen.  16  is  readily  recognized.  The  chronologi- 
cal data  and  the  formal,  repetitious  style  of  3-  15*16  indicate  that  they  contain  the  priestly 
account  of  the  birth  of  Ishmael  to  whom  reference  is  made  in  1720  * 25.  The  formula  Sarai  Ab- 
ram’s wife , in  la  is  also  the  same  as  that  in  3a.  The  rest  of  the  chapter  clearly  is  from  the  Judean 
prophetic  group  of  narratives,  to  which  also  belongs  ll30,  for  it  is  the  natural  introduction  to 
the  story  and  here  finds  its  true  setting  as  the  parallel  to  16la.  Vss.  9-  10  interrupt  the  divine 

86 


Gen.  16* 1] 


BIRTH  OF  ISHMAEL 


[Gen.  163 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

tianz  maid-servant  whose  name  was  Hagar. 

2And  Sarai  said  to  Abram,  Behold  now,  Jeho- 
vah hath  denied  me  children ;yy  3go  in,  I pray 
you,  to  my  maid-servant;  it  may  be  that  I shall 
obtain  children  by  her.zz 

Sarai’s  Then  Abram  heeded  the  voice  of  Sarai  4and 
andHaJ  went  in  unto  Hagar,  and  she  conceived.  And 
ffght  when  she  saw  that  she  had  conceived,  her  mis- 
tress was  despised  in  her  eyes.  5Therefore  Sarai 
said  to  Abram,  May  the  wrong  I suffer  be  upon 
you.a  I myself  gave  my  maid-servant  into  your 
bosom;  and  now  that  she  sees  that  she  has  con- 
ceived, I am  despised  in  her  eyes;  Jehovah  judge 
between  me  and  you . 6But  Abram  said  to  Sarai , 

Behold,  your  maid-servant  is  in  your  power ,b  do 
to  her  whatever  seems  right  to  you.  Then  Sarai 
ill-treated  her  so  that  she  fled  from  her  presence. 

Divine  7And  the  Messengerof  Jehovah  found  her  by  a spring  of  water  in  the  wilder- 

teHa^ar  ness,  by  the  spring  in  the  way  to  Shur.  8And  he  said,  Hagar,  Sarai’s  maid- 
inf  dV  servant,  whence  earnest  thou  ? and  whither  art  thou  going  ? And  she  said,  I 
dante  am  fleeing  from  the  presence  of  my  mistress  Sarai . 9Then  the  Messenger  of 
Jehovah  said  to  her,  Return  to  thy  mistress  and  submit  thyself  to  her  authori- 
ty.® 10Moreover  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  said  to  her,  1 will  make  thy  de- 
scendants so  many  that  they  can  not  be  numbered  because  they  are  so  numer- 
ous. 11  The  Messenger  of  Jehovah  also  said  to  her,  Behold,  thou  art  with 
child,  and  shalt  bear  a son;  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Ishmael  [God 
hears],  because  Jehovah  hath  heard  of  thy  ill-treatment. 


promise  given  by  the  angelic  messenger  in  11  • 12 , and  appear  to  have  been  added  by  a later  editor, 
who  recognized  that  the  other  account  of  Hagar’s  expulsion  in  21  required  that  she  be  brought 
back  to  Abram's  home,  and  who  sought  in  this  way  to  harmonize  the  two  narratives.  That 
they  are  widely  variant  versions  of  the  same  tradition,  which  aimed  to  explain  the  origin  of  the 
Ishmaelites  and  to  indicate  their  relationship  to  the  Hebrews,  seems  probable.  Chap.  21 
evidently  contains  the  Ephraimite  parallel,  cf.  §21.  The  details  of  the  two  stories,  however, 
differ  so  radically  that  it  is  difficult  to  introduce  them  side  by  side.  In  21  Isaac  has  been  born 
and  Ishmael  is  a lad,  when  his  mother  is  driven  by  Sarah  and  Abraham  into  the  desert. 

The  stories  regarding  Ishmael  stand  in  no  very  close  relation  to  those  which  precede  and 
follow.  The  reason  is  probably  because  they  were  derived  from  a very  old  cycle  of  traditions, 
which  preserved  the  memory  of  the  relationships  and  alliances  between  the  ancient  Arabian 
tribes — the  Hagarites,  the  Mu^rites  and  the  Ishmaelites — and  the  ancestors  of  the  Hebrews, 
and  were  probably  originally  distinct  from  the  Lot  cycle  of  stories  (§§  14, 19,  20).  In  21  they 
are,  however,  interwoven  with  the  group  of  narratives  which  relate  to  the  direct  ancestors  of 
the  Hebrews  through  Isaac.  In  general  the  arrangement  adopted  by  the  editor  of  Gen.  is  as 
satisfactory  as  any  which  can  be  devised;  for  the  succeeding  narratives  assume  events  recorded 
in  those  which  precede. 

1 16lb  Or  Mugrite.  The  statement  that  Sarai's  maid  was  a native  of  Egypt  (or  Mufri)  is  in 

harmony  with  the  account  of  Abram’s  sojourn  in  that  land  (129*13).  If  in  the  original  story 

Hagar  was  from  Mu<?ri,  her  object  in  fleeing  into  the  desert  was  obviously  that  she  might  return 

to  her  home.  The  Hagarites  like  the  Ishmaelites,  figure  in  biblical  history  as  a wandering 

Arab  people  (cf.,  e.g.,  1 Chrs.  510-  19).  Representatives  of  both  of  these  tribes  were  found 

among  the  followers  of  David  (1  Chrs.  217,  ll38). 

yy  162  Heb.,  restrained  me  from  bearing. 

■x  168  For  the  laws  of  Hammurabi  which  recognize  this  institution,  cf.  Appendix  VI. 

* 165  Heb.,  my  wrong  upon  you. 

b 166  Heb.,  hand. 

c 169  The  Heb.  may  also  be  translated,  endure  the  ill-treatment  which  she  inflicts  upon  thee. 

The  verb  is  the  same  as  in  6b,  which  states  that  Sarai  ill-treated  Hagar. 

87 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

no  children,  3so  she  took 
Hagar  the  Egyptian,  her 
maid-servant,  after 
Abram  had  dwelt  ten  years 
in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
and  gave  her  to  Abram 
her  husband  to  be  his  wife. 

15And  Hagar  bore 
Abram  a son, and  Abram 
called  the  name  of  his  son, 
whom  Hagar  bore,  Ish- 
mael, 16and  Abram  was 
eighty-six  years  old,  when 
Hagar  bore  Ishmael  to 
Abram. 


Birth  of 
Ishmael 


Gen.  1612]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

12He  shall  be  like  a wild-ass, d 
His  hand  against  every  man. 

And  every  man’s  hand  against  him  ; 

And  he  shall  dwell  over  against  all  his  kinsmen. 

13Then  she  called  the  name  of  Jehovah,  who  had  spoken  to  her,  El-roi  [Thou 
art  a God  that  seeth  me];  for  she  said,  Have  I seen  God  and  am  I still  alive 
after  I have  looked  upon  him  ?e  14Therefore  the  well  is  called  Beer-lahai-roi 
[Well  of  the  living  One  who  seeth  me],  (behold,  it  is  between  Kadesh  and 
Bered) . 


§ 19.  Promise  of  a Son  to  Sarah — Miraculous  Origin  of  the  Race, 

Gen.  18l_15,  1715-27 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

ham’s  Gen.  18  'Now  Jehovah  appeared  to  [Abraham]  by  the  oaks  of  Mamre, 
hospital-  as  be  was  sitting  at  the  entrance  of  the  tent  in  the  heat  of  the  day;  2and,  as 
he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  there  stood  three  men  before  him.  And  as 
soon  as  he  saw  them,  he  ran  from  the  entrance  of  the  tent  to  meet  them  and 
bowed  himself  to  the  ground,  3and  said,  My  lords,  if  now  I have  found  favor 
in  your  sight,  do  not,  I pray  you,f  pass  by  your  servant.  4 Let  now  a little 
water  be  brought,  that  you  may  wash  your  feet,  and  rest  yourselves  under 
the  tree; 5 and  let  me  bring  a morsel  of  bread,  that  you  may  refresh  yourselves; 
afterwards  you  may  pass  on,  since  for  this  reason  you  are  passing  by  your 
servant.  And  they  replied,  Do  even  as  you  have  said.  6So  Abraham  hastened 
into  the  tent  to  Sarah,  and  said,  Make  ready  quickly  three  measures  of  fine 
meal,  knead  it,  and  bake  cakes.  7 Abraham  also  ran  to  the  herd,  and  took  a 
calf,  tender  and  good,  and  gave  it  to  the  servant,  that  he  might  prepare  it 


d 1612  Lit.,  Wild  ass  of  a man,  i.  e.,  free,  untamed,  ever  moving  from  place  to  place  (cf.  Job 
395-8),  appropriately  describing  the  habits  of  the  roving  Arabs  of  whom  Ishmael  was  the  type 
and  traditional  ancestor. 

e n;i3b  Heb.  text  is  obscure.  Have  I even  here  looked  after  him  who  seeth  me.  So  Syr.  and  Lat. 
Gk.  has,  For  I have  seen  face  to  face  him  who  sees  me.  Slight  and  probable  emendations  of  the 
text  give  the  above  reading. 

§19  The  language  and  the  naive  representation  of  the  divine  beings,  as  eating  and  conversing 
with  Abraham,  proclaims  that  181'15,  like  the  story  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  which  it  resembles, 
is  from  the  early  Judean  prophetic  group  of  narratives.  The  story  reflects  the  nomadic  period, 
when  it  probably  originated.  Like  an  Arab  sheik,  Abraham  personally  waited  on  his  guests 
and  stood  by  while  they  ate.  The  food  which  he  offered  them  was  curds  and  milk  with  a calf 
from  the  herd.  The  story  illustrates  the  primitive  method  of  stating  the  fact  that  from  the 
beginning  Jehovah  was  caring  for  and  preparing  the  Hebrew  race  for  its  divine  mission.  The 
later  parallel  is  found  in  17,  where  the  priestly  historian  has  combined  this  more  specific  promise 
of  a son  to  Sarah,  18_27,  w;th  the  more  general  assurance  that  Abraham’s  descendants  should 
be  many  and  possess  the  land  of  Canaan,  1-14. 

1 183  In  the  Heb.  text  of  3 the  one  addressed  is  in  the  singular ; while  in 5,  which  continues  the 
speech  of  Abraham,  the  second  person  plural  suddenly  appears.  Various  theories  have  been 
advanced  to  explain  this  unusual  phenomenon.  Some  have  inferred  from  this  that  two 
originally  distinct  documents  have  been  joined  together.  Cf.  also  9‘  I0-  16-  17.  The  language 
and  representation  of  1-15,  however,  indicate  that  the  story  is  a complete  unit.  It  is  significant 
that  the  Sam.  has  preserved  the  plural  throughout  in  3.  There  is  nothing  in  the  context  to 
suggest  that  Abraham,  when  he  first  addressed  them,  suspected  the  real  character  of  his  guests. 
Cf.  the  corresponding  address  of  Lot,  192.  The  Sam.  therefore  appears  to  have  retained  the 
original  text  and  has  here  been  followed.  The  desire  of  a later  editor  to  eliminate  the  polythe- 
istic suggestions  of  the  primitive  story  is  the  most  probable  explanation  of  the  change.  Cf.  the 
introduction  of  God  ( Elohim ) in  24b-§24  and  the  use  of  the  double  names  of  the  patriarch  con- 
sistently with  the  priestly  explanation  in  17.  The  sudden  change  from  the  plural  to  tha 
singular  in  189- 10  may  also  be  the  work  of  a later  hand,  although  it  is  natural  that  the  important 
promise  which  follows  should  come  from  the  mouth  of  Jehovah, 

S8 


Promise 
of  a son 
to  Abra- 
ham and 
Sarah 


PROMISE  OF  A SON  TO  SARAH 


[Gen.  187 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

quickly.  8And  he  took  curds  and  milk,  with  the  calf  which  he  had  dressed, 
and  set  before  them,  and  he  was  waiting  on  them  under  the  tree,  while 
they  ate. 


9Then  they  said  to  him, 
Where  is  thy  wife  ? And 
he  said,  There  within  the 
tent.  10 And  he  said,  I 
will  certainly  return  to 
thee  about  a year  from 
now,  and  then  Sarah  thy 
wife  shall  have  a son.  But 
Sarah  was  listening  at  the 
entrance  of  the  tent, which 
was  behind  him.  uNow 
Sarah  and  Abraham  were 
old,  well  advanced  in 
years  (it  had  ceased  to  be 
with  Sarah  after  the  man- 
ner of  women) . ^There- 
fore Sarah  laughed8  to 
herself,  saying,  After  I am 
old  and  worn  out  shall  I 
have  pleasure,  my  lord 
being  old  also  ? 13  And  Je- 
hovah said  to  Abraham, 
Why  did  Sarah  laugh, 
saying,  ‘Shall  I,  even 
when  I am  old,  indeed 
bear  a child  ? ’ 14Is  any- 
thing too  wonderful  for 
Jehovah?  At  the  appoint- 
ed time  about  a year 
hence,  I will  return  to 
thee  and  Sarah  shall  have 
a son.  15Then  Sarah  de- 
nied, saying,  I did  not 
laugh;  for  she  was  afraid. 
And  he  said,  Nay,  but 
thou  didst  laugh. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

17  15Then  God  said  to  Abraham,  as  for  Sarai  Promise 
thy  wife,  thou  shalt  not  call  her  name  Sarai,  but  and633,0 
Sarah  shall  be  her  name.  16 And  I will  bless  descend- 
her,  and  moreover  will  give  thee  a son  from  ants 
her:  yea,  I will  bless  her,  and  she  shall  become 
the  mother  of  nations;  kings  of  peoples  shall 
descend  from  her.  17Then  Abraham  fell  on 
his  face  and  laughed8,  and  said  to  himself,  Shall 
a child  be  born  to  one  who  is  an  hundred  years 
old?  and  shall  Sarah  who  is  ninety  years  old 
bear  children  ? 18And  Abraham  said  to  God, 

O that  Ishmael  might  live  before  thee ! 19  But 
God  said,  Nay,  truly  Sarah  thy  wife  is  about 
to  bear  thee  a son;  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name 
Isaac.  And  I will  establish  my  covenant  with 
him  for  an  everlasting  covenant  for  his  descend- 
ants after  him.  20However  I have  heard  thee 
regarding  Ishmael:  behold,  I have  blessed  him, 
and  will  make  him  fruitful  and  his  descendants 
exceedingly  many.  Twelve  princes  shall  he 
beget,  and  I will  make  him  a great  nation.  21But 
my  covenant  will  I establish  with  Isaac,  whom 
Sarah  shall  bear  to  thee  at  this  appointed  time 
next  year.  22 When  he  had  finished  talking  with 
him,  God  went  up  from  Abraham. 

23Then  Abraham  took  Ishmael  his  son,  and  all  Circum- 
who  were  born  in  his  house,  and  all  who  were  Abra-'  ° 
bought  with  his  money,  every  male  among  the  andhis 
men  of  Abraham’s  house,  and  circumcised  the  hold6 
flesh  of  their  foreskin  that  very  same  day,  as 
God  had  said  to  him.  24Now  Abraham  was 
ninety-nine  years  old,  when  he  was  circumcised 
in  the  flesh  of  his  foreskin.  25 And  Ishmael  his 
son  was  thirteen  years  old,  when  he  was  circum- 
cised in  the  flesh  of  his  foreskin.  26On  this  very 
same  day  was  Abraham  circumcised,  with  Ish- 
mael his  son.  27 And  all  the  men  of  his  house, 
those  born  in  the  house  and  those  bought  with 
money  from  foreigners,  were  circumcised  withhim. 


e 1812,  1717  The  Heb.  verb  (sahak)  has  the  same  sound  as  the  word  Isaac.  The  incident, 
preserved  with  variations  in  both  versions,  was  clearly  intended  to  suggest  the  origin  of  the 


89 


Depart- 
ure of 
the  men 
J eho- 
vah’s 
revela- 
tion of 
the  ob- 
j ect  of 
his  visit 


Abra- 
ham’s 
interces- 
sion for 
Sodom 


Gen.  181(i]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 

§ 20.  Destruction  of  Sodom  and  Deliverance  of  Lot — The  Guilt  of  the 

Ancient  Canaanites,  Gen.  IS16— 1929 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  18  16Then  the  men  rose  up  from  there  and  looked  off  in  the  direction 
of  Sodom,  and  Abraham  went  along  with  them  to  speed  them  on  their  way. 

17And  Jehovah  said.  Shall  I conceal  from  Abraham  that  which  I am  about  to  do,  18since 
Abraham  shall  surely  become  a great  and  mighty  nation  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
shall  invoke  a blessing  like  his  for  themselves  ? 19For  I have  chosen  himh,  in  order  that  he 
may  charge  his  sons  and  his  household  after  him,  and  that  they  may  keep  the  way  of  Jeho- 
vah, by  doing  righteousness  and  justice,  to  the  end  that  Jehovah  may  bring  upon  Abraham 
that  which  he  hath  promised  concerning  him.  -^Therefore  Jehovah  said,  Because 
the  complaint  concerning  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  is  great,  and  because  their 
sin  is  very  heinous,  21I  wish  to  go  down  and  see  whether  they  have  done 
exactly  according  to  the  complaint  which  comes  to  me1 ; and  if  not,  I wish  to 
know.  22So  the  men  turned  from  there  and  went  toward  Sodom,  but  Abraham 
remained  standing  before  Jehovah.!  23Then  Abraham  drew  near  and  said,  Wilt  thou  con- 
sume the  righteous  with  the  wicked?  21Perhaps  there  are  fifty  righteous  within  the  city. 
Wilt  thou  consume  and  not  spare  the  place  for  the  fifty  righteous  that  are  in  it  ? 25Be  it 
far  from  thee  to  do  after  this  manner,  to  slay  the  righteous  with  the  wicked ! and  that  the 
righteous  should  be  as  the  wicked,  far  be  it  from  thee  ! Shall  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth 


§ 20  This  is  the  continuat  ion  of  the  Judean  prophetic  account  of  the  visit  of  the  angelic  beings. 
The  primitive  naive  conception  of  the  Deity  pervades  it.  Jehovah  himself  must  go  down  to 
investigate  personally,  as  in  the  story  of  the  tower  of  Babel,  § 9,  conditions  in  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  (21).  Vss.  17 -19  separate  16  from  its  natural  sequence  20  and  also  represent  Jehovah’s 
purpose  as  already  formed  (cf.  21).  Their  moralizing  tone  and  the  presence  of  expressions  like 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth  and  do  justice  and  judgment,  likewise  indicate  that  they  are  later  am- 
plifications, intended  to  emphasize  the  privileges  vouchsafed  to  the  ancestor  of  the  Israelites. 
Similarly  the  original  continuation  of  2-»  is  found  in  the  last  clause  of  33.  In228-23*1  the  fate  of 

the  guilty  cities  is  assumed  to  be  determined.  Cf.  23  with  21.  The  title  and  conception  of  Je- 
hovah as  Judge  of  the  whole  earth  in 25  reveal  a much  later  stage  in  prophetic  thought  than  that 
represented  in  the  original  narrative.  Abraham’s  plea  for  Sodom  is  strikingly  parallel  to  the 
popular  belief  which  was  combated  by  Ezekiel  (1412-20,  1820). 

Back  of  the  ancient  story  is  the  powerful  impression  which  the  Dead  Sea  with  its  bitter ' 
waters,  its  barren  shores,  its  pools  of  petroleum,  and  the  evidences  of  volcanic  action,  made 
upon  the  minds  of  the  ancients.  The  impression  was  deepened  by  the  striking  contrast  pre- 
sented by  the  fertile  Jordan  valley  to  the  north.  The  belief  was  also  current  that  the  plain 
about  the  Dead  Sea  was  once  a veritable  Eden,  1310,  1926.  Only  in  recent  times  have  geological 
investigations  demonstrated  that  in  the  prehistoric  periods  the  Jordan  valley  was  but  an 
estuary  of  the  Red  Sea,  the  waters  of  which  probably  extended  to  the  foot  of  Mount  Hermon, 
and  that  the  Dead  Sea  itself  is  the  residuum  of  the  lake  which  remained  when  the  land  to  the 
south  rose,  shutting  out  the  waters  of  the  ocean.  Primitive  man,  therefore,  sought  and  found 
a simpler  explanation:  it  was  that  the  divine  judgment  had  fallen  upon  this  once  fertile  region 
because  of  the  shameful  guilt  of  its  inhabitants.  Possibly  the  tradition  also  preserves  the 
memory  of  a great  volcanic  upheaval,  accompanied  by  explosions  of  condensed  gas  and  petro- 
leum. 

The  narrative,  as  it  came  in  its  present  form  from  the  land  of  the  prophetic  historians,  illus- 
trates vividly  the  certain  judgment  that  will  overtake  those  who  deliberately  disregard  moral 
laws  and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  Jehovah  will  deliver  from  every  peril  those,  who,  like  Lot, 
are  loyal  to  the  demand  of  hospitality  and  religion.  The  story  figures  prominently  in  later  pro- 
phetic thought.  Cf.  Amos  4U,  Hos.  11s,  Is.  I7.  9'  *°,  39,  1319,Zeph.  29,  Jer.  2314,  4918,  5040,  Dt. 
2922,  3232,  Ps.  II6,  14011.  In  three  early  prophecies,  Am.  4n,  Is.  1319,  Jer.  5040,  God,  not  Jehovah, 
is  referred  to  as  the  destroyer  of  Sodom,  from  which  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  original  tradi- 
tion was  derived  by  the  Hebrews  from  the  older  inhabitants  of  Palestine. 

h 1819  Heb. , I have  known;  but  this  verb  is  constantly  used  by  the  prophets  to  describe  a long, 
close  acquaintance  between  individuals.  Cf.  Am.  31.  Also  of  the  most  intimate  relations  of 
husband  and  wife.  In  the  present  context  Jehovah  establishes  the  acquaintance  with  a defi- 
nite purpose,  hence  it  must  be  translated  as  above. 

i j §20*21  The  subsequent  context  demands  the  plural,  rather  than  the  singular.  Possibly  the 
change  to  the  singular  was  made  by  the  later  editor,  who  added  !7~19.  In  I917  the  Heb.  like- 
wise has  he,  where  the  Gk.  and  the  context  clearly  indicate  that  they  was  found  in  the 
original 

i l§22b  Heb.,  Abraham  remained  standing  before  Jehovah;  but  according  to  the  first  part  of  the 
verse  the  angelic  beings  had  already  departed.  A rabbinic  tradition  states  that  the  words 
Abraham  and  Jehovah  were  transposed  by  later  scribes  because  the  expression  stand  before 
implied  the  doing  homage  to  another.  This  explanation  of  the  Heb.  order  is  exceedingly 
probable. 


90 


THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  SODOM 


[Gen.  1825 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 


not  do  justice  ? 26 And  Jehovah  said.  If  I find  in  Sodom  fifty  righteous  within  the  city, 
then  I will  spare  all  the  place  for  their  sake.  27And  Abraham  answered  and  said,  Behold 
now,  I have  presumed  to  speak  to  the  Lord,  even  though  I am  but  dust  and  ashes ; ^per- 
haps there  will  be  lacking  five  of  the  fifty  righteous.  Wilt  thou  destroy  all  the  city  for 
lack  of  five  ? And  he  said,  I will  not  destroy  it  if  I find  there  forty-five.  29And  he  spoke 
to  him  yet  again,  and  said.  Perhaps  forty  will  be  found  there.  And  he  said,  For  the  sake 
of  forty  I will  not  do  it.  30 And  he  said,  O let  not  my  Lord  be  angry,  but  let  me  speak  : 
perhaps  thirty  will  be  found  there.  And  he  said,  I will  not  do  it,  if  I find  thirty  there. 

31  And  he  said.  Behold  now,  I have  presumed  to  speak  to  the  Lord  : perhaps  twenty  will  be 
found  there.  And  he  said,  For  the  sake  of  twenty  I will  not  destroy  it.  32And  he  said, 

Oh  let  not  the  Lord  be  angry,  but  let  me  speak  yet  this  once  : perhaps  ten  will  be  found 
there.  And  he  said  I will  not  destroy  it  for  the  ten’s  sake.  33Then  Jehovah  went  his  way 
as  soon  as  he  had  ceased  talking  with  Abraham.  Then  Abraham  returned  to  his  Lot’s 
place,  19* 1  and  the  two  Messengers^  came  to  Sodom  in  the  evening  as  Lot  was  tfun'of 
sitting  in  the  gate  of  Sodom.  When  Lot  saw  them  he  rose  up  to  meet  them,  themea 
and  bowed  himself  with  his  face  to  the  earth,  2and  said,  Now,  my  lords,  turn 
aside,  I pray  you,  into  your  servant’s  house  and  spend  the  night,  and  wash 
your  feet;  then  you  shall  rise  up  early,  and  go  on  your  way.  And  they  said. 

Nay,  but  we  will  spend  the  night  in  the  street.  3But  he  urged  them  so 
strongly  that  they  turned  aside  to  him,  and  entered  into  his  house;  and  he 
made  them  a feast,  and  baked  unleavened  bread,  and  they  ate. 

4But  before  they  had  lain  down,  the  men  of  the  city  (the  men  of  Sodom),  shame- 
both  young  and  old,  all  the  people  from  every  quarter  surrounded  the  house;  0e/theSS 
5and  they  called  to  Lot  saying  to  him,  Where  are  the  men  who  came  in  to  you  ftes°m' 
to-night?  Bring  them  out  to  us  that  we  may  know  them.  6Then  Lot  went 
out  to  them  at  the  door-way,  but  he  shut  the  door  after  him.  7And  he  said, 

I pray  you,  my  friends,1  commit  no  crime.  8Behold  now,  I have  two  daugh- 
ters that  have  not  known  man;  let  me,  I pray  you,  bring  them  out  to  you, 
and  do  to  them  as  you  desire,  only  do  nothing  to  these  men,  inasmuch  as  they 
have  come  under  the  shadow  of  my  roof.  9But  they  replied,  Stand  back. 

And  they  said,  This  one  came  in  to  sojourn,  and  he  would  set  himself  up  as 
a judge;  now  we  will  treat  you  worse  than  them.  And  they  pressed  hard 
against  the  man  (Lot)  and  drew  near  in  order  to  break  the  door.  10But  the 


men  reached  out  and  drew  Lot  to  them  into  the  house,  and  shut  the  door, 
11  and  smote  the  men  who  were  at  the  door  of  the  house  with  blindness,  both 
small  and  great  so  that  they  became  tired  of  searching  for  the  door. 

12Then  the  men  said  to  Lot,  Hast  thou  here  any 
besides?  Son-in-law,  and  thy  sons,  and  thy 
daughters,  and  whoever  thou  hast  in  the  city, 
bring  them  out  of  the  place;  13for  we  are  about  to 
destroy  this  place;  because  great  complaint  con- 
cerning them  has  come  to  Jehovah,  and  Jehovah 
hath  sent  us  to  destroy  it . 14  So  Lot  went  out  and 
spoke  to  his  sons-in-law,  who  were  to  marry  his 
daughters,  and  said,  Up,  get  you  out  of  this  place; 
for  Jehovah  will  destroy  the  city.  But  he  ap- 
peared to  his  sons-in-law  as  one  who  was  jesting. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 
19  29Now  it  came  to 
pass,  when  God  destroyed 
the  cities  of  the  Plain, 
that  God  remembered 
Abraham,  and  sent  Lot 
out  of  the  midst  of  the 
overthrow,  when  he  over- 
threw the  cities  in  which 
Lot  dwelt. 


k 191  In  the  original  story  the  men  is  employed  to  describe  the  visitors.  Cf.  181S’  22 , 1910'  12 • 1S. 

1 197  Heb.,  brothers.  Cf.  294,  § 32. 


91 


Gen.  ID1*]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

15And  when  the  rosy  glow  of  morning  appeared,  the  Messengers  urged  Lot, 
saying,  Arise,  take  thy  wife,  and  thy  two  daughters  who  are  here,  lest  thou  be 
consumed  in  the  punishment  of  the  city.  16But  as  he  hesitated,  the  men  took 
hold  of  his  hand  and  the  hands  of  his  wife  and  of  his  two  daughters  (since 
Jehovah  was  merciful  to  him)  and  brought  him  forth  and  set  him  outside 
the  city.  17And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  had  brought  them  outside  that 
they  said,  Escape  for  thy  life;  look  not  behind  thee,  neither  stay  thou  in  all  the 
Plain;  escape  to  the  mountain  lest  thou  be  consumed.  18But  Lot  said  to 
them,  Oh  no,  my  lords!  19Behold  now,  thy  servant  hath  found  favor  in  thy 
sight,  and  thou  hast  magnified  thy  loving  kindness,  which  thou  hast  shown 
to  me  in  saving  my  life — and  I cannot  escape  to  the  mountain,  lest  evil  over- 
take me,  and  I die — 20see  now,  this  city  is  near  to  which  to  flee,  and  it  is  a little 
one.  Oh,  let  me  escape  thither,  (is  it  not  a little  one?)  and  my  life  shall  be 
preserved.  21  And  he  said  to  him,  I have  also  accepted  thee  concerning  this 
thing,  in  that  I will  not  overthrow  the  city  of  which  thou  hast  spoken.  22 Hast- 
en, escape  thither;  for  I cannot  do  anything  until  thou  enter  there.  There- 
fore the  name  of  the  city  was  called  Zoar  [Small],  23 And  the  sun  had  risen 
upon  the  earth  when  Lot  came  to  Zoar. 

Destine-  24Then  Jehovah  rained  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  brimstone  and  fire 
theeities  from  Jehovah  out  of  heaven,  25and  he  overthrew  those  cities,  and  all  the  Plain, 
Plain  with  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  cities,  and  that  which  grew  upon  the  ground, 
of  Lot’s?  26But  [Lot’s]  wife  looked  back  from  behind  him  and  she  became  a pillar  of  salt. 
wi£e  27 And  Abraham  rose  up  early  in  the  morning  to  the  place  where  he  had  stood™ 

before  Jehovah,  28and  looked  towards  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  toward  all  the 
region  of  the  Plain,  and  beheld:  and  there  the  smoke  of  the  land  had  begun 
to  ascend  as  the  smoke  of  a smelting-furnace. 


§ 21.  Origin  of  the  Moabites  and  Ammonites— Relationship  between  These 

Peoples  and  the  Hebrews,  Gen.  1930~33 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Lot’s  life  Gen.  19  30Then  Lot  went  up  from  Zoar  and  dwelt  in  the  mountain,  and 
cave6  his  two  daughters  with  him — for  he  was  afraid  to  dwell  in  Zoar — and  lived 
in  the  cave  together  with  his  two  daughters. 

31  And  the  elder  said  to  the  younger,  Our  father  is  old,  and  there  is  no  one 


ra1927  Evidently  an  editorial  addition  intended  to  harmonize  the  inserted  account  of  Abra- 
ham’s intercession,  1822b_33a,  with  the  original  narrative. 

§ 21  The  ancient  tradition  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom  is  the  nucleus  about  which  have 
gathered  several  early  prophetic  stories.  The  present  narrative  was  originally  intended  to 
answer  the  questions  naturally  suggested  by  close  analogies  in  language,  institutions  and  relig- 
ious customs  between  the  Israelites  and  their  near  neighbors  across  the  Jordan  and  the  Dead 
Sea.  In  the  light  of  the  higher  moral  standards  of  a later  age,  the  Hebrews  doubtless  regarded 
this  traditional  origin  of  these,  their  hated  enemies,  as  disgraoeful.  Cf.  Dt.  3232.  Among 
many  ancient  peoples,  e.g. , the  Egyptians  and  Persians,  marriage  with  near  relatives  was  toler- 
ated and  even  among  the  early  Israelites  the  practice  was  not  unknown.  Cf.  story  of  Tamar, 
Gen.  38,  § 44.  The  obligation  to  perpetuate  the  family  or  race  was  held  by  the  ancient  Semites 
to  be  so  sacred  that  they  probably  considered  the  act  of  Lot’s  daughters  a virtue  rather  than 
a crime.  The  tradition  itself  may,  as  Gunkel  suggests  ( Genesis , p.  197) , have  originated  among 
the  Moabites  and  Ammonites  and  have  been  localized  at  one  of  the  grottoes  near  Zoar,  known 
as  the  cave  of  Lot30.  If  so  its  original  purport  was  to  emphasize  the  heroism  of  the  ancestors 
and  the  purity  of  the  blood  of  these  peoples. 


92 


Birth  of 
Isaac 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  MOABITES  AND  AMMONITES  [Gen.  1931 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

on  the  earth  to  come  in  unto  us  after  the  manner  of  all  the  world.  32Come 
let  us  make  our  father  drink  wine  and  we  will  lie  with  him,  that  we  may 
preserve  our  race  through  our  father.  33So  they  made  their  father  drink 
wine  that  night;  and  the  elder  went  in  and  lay  with  her  father.  He,  how- 
ever, did  not  know  when  she  lay  down,  nor  when  she  arose.  34Then  in  the 
morning  the  elder  said  to  the  younger,  Behold,  I lay  last  night  with  my 
father.  Let  us  make  him  drink  wine  to-night  also;  and  you  go  in  and  lie 
with  him,  that  we  may  preserve  our  race  through  our  father.  35So  they 
made  their  father  drink  wine  that  night  also.  And  the  younger  arose  and 
lay  with  him.  He,  however,  did  not  know  when  she  lay  down  nor  when  she 
arose.  36Thus  both  the  daughters  of  Lot  were  with  child  by  their  father. 

37 And  the  elder  bore  a son,  and  called  his  name  Moab  [From  an  own 
father].  He  is  the  father  of  the  present11  Moabites.  38The  younger  also 
bore  a son  and  called  his  name  Ben-ammi0  [Son  of  my  kinsman].  That 
one  is  the  father  of  the  present11  Ammonites. 


§ 22.  Birth  of  Isaac  and  Expulsion  of  Hagar — Relationship  between  the 
Ishmaelites  and  the  Hebrews,  Gen.  211-21 


Early  Judean 

Gen.  21  laNow  Jeho- 
vah visited  Sarah  as  he 
had  said.  2aThen  Sarah 
conceived  and  bore  Abra- 
ham a son  in  his  old  age, 
7and  said.  Who  would 
have  told  Abraham  that 
Sarah  should  give  chil- 
dren suck?  for  I have 
borne  him  a son  in  his 
old  age! 


Early  Ephraim- 

ite 

21  lbNow  Godv 
did  to  Sarah  as 
he  had  prom- 
ised. 6And  Sa- 
rah said,  Laugh- 
ter hath  God 
prepared  for 
me;  every  one 
that  hears  will 
laugh  at  me. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

21  Now  God  did  to  Sarah 
2bat  the  appointed  time  what 
he  had  promised  her.  3And 
Abraham  called  the  name  of 
his  son  who  was  born  to 
him,  whom  Sarah  bore  to  him, 
Isaac.  4 And  Abraham  cir- 
cumcised his  son  Isaac,  when 
he  was  eight  days  old,  as  God 
had  commanded  him.  5 And 
Abraham  was  a hundred 
years  old  when  his  son  Isaac 
was  born  to  him. 


• 1937,  38  Heb.,  to  this  day. 

0 1938  Here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  prophetic  stories,  the  popular  etymology  based  on  the  sound 

of  words  is  given. 

§ 22  Since  each  of  the  three  groups  of  narratives  contained  the  promise  of  a direct  descendant 
(cf.  §§  16,  19)  to  Abraham,  it  is  natural  to  expect  that  each  had  their  own  account  of  the  birth 
of  Isaac.  The  distinctive  priestly  formulas  of  17  reappear  in  2b'5.  The  term  Jehovah  in  * * * §“  and 
in  his  old  age, 2a' 7,  indicate  that  these  verses  are  from  the  early  Judean  group  of  stories.  But  the 
statement  of  la  is  repeated  again  in  lb,  and  6 gives  an  explanation  of  the  name  Isaac  differing 
from  that  in  1811,  although  each  of  the  narrators  agrees  in  deriving  it  from  the  Hebrew  word 
laughter.  Also  in  6 and  throughout 8-21  the  name  God  ( Elohim ) takes  the  place  of  Jehovah.  In 
12  (cf. 14)  a revelation  comes  to  Abraham  at  night.  Cf.  Introd.,  p.  39.  Characteristic  words 
and  expressions,  as  well  as  the  general  representation,  indicate  that  this  version  of  the  story  is 
from  the  Ephraimite  prophetic  historians  and  contains  their  account  of  the  expulsion  of  Hagar. 
Not  only  in  setting  and  in  details  but  also  in  the  evident  attempt  to  explain  Abraham’s  treat- 
ment of  the  mother  of  his  son  Ishmael,  it  differs  considerably  from  the  Judean  prophetic  paral- 
lel in  16.  For  the  laws  of  Hammurabi  regarding  the  points  at  issue  in  this  story  cf.  Appendix 

VI. 

p 21lb  Heb.  reads,  Jehovah.  In  combining  the  duplicates  la  and  lb  the  editor  naturally  used 
the  same  name  of  the  Deity  in  both,  although  the  repetition  is  awkward. 

93 


Device 
of  his 
daugh- 
ters to 
perpetu- 
ate their 
families 


Orimn 
of  tne 
Moabites 
and  Am- 
monites 


THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 


Gen.  219] 

Early  Ephrairnite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Sarah’s  8 And  when  the  child  grew  and  was  weaned,  Abraham  made  a great 
that*  Ha-  feast  on  the  day  that  Isaac  was  weaned.  9 And  Sarah  saw  the  son  of  Hagar 
fshmaei  the  Egyptian,  whom  she  had  borne  to  Abraham,  playing/i  10Therefore 
Ished'1'  she  said  to  Abraham,  Drive  out  this  maid  and  her  son,  for  the  son  of  this 
maid  shall  not  be  heir  with  my  son  Isaac.  nThe  thing,  however,  was  ex- 
ceedingly displeasing1-  to  Abraham  on  account  of  his  son.  12But  God  said 
to  Abraham,  Do  not  be  displeased  because  of  the  lad,  and  because  of  thy 
maid.  Hearken  to  Sarah  in  all  that  she  says  to  thee,  for  only  through  Isaac 
shall  thy  descendants  be  reckoned.8  13But  the  son  of  the  maid  I will  also 
cause  to  become  a nation,  because  he  is  thine  offspring. 

Hagar’s  14Then  Abraham  arose  early  in  the  morning  and  took  bread  and  a skin  of 
stonand  water  and  gave  it  to  Hagar,  putting  the  child  also  upon  her  shoulder,*  and 
tremfty  sent  her  away.  Thus  she  departed  and  wandered  in  the  wilderness  of 
Beersheba.  15And  when  the  water  in  the  skin  was  exhausted,  she  cast  the 
child  under  one  of  the  shrubs,  16and  went  and  sat  down  over  opposite  him 
about  a bowshot  away;  for  she  said,  I cannot  look  upon  the  death  of  the  child. 
So  she  sat  over  opposite  him  while  he  wept  loudly.* 

The  17Then  God  heard  the  cry  of  the  lad,  and  the  Messenger  of  God  called  to 
deliver-  Hagar  from  heaven  and  said  to  her,  What  troubleth  thee,  Hagar?  Fear  not, 
promise1  for  God  hath  heard  the  cry  of  the  lad  even  there  where  he  lies.  18 Arise,  lift 
up  the  lad,  and  hold  him  fast  by  the  hand;  for  I will  make  him  a great  nation. 
19 And  God  opened  her  eyes  so  that  she  saw  a well  of  water.  Then  she  went 
and  filled  the  skin  with  water  and  gave  the  lad  to  drink, 
ishma-  "And  God  was  with  the  lad,  and  he  grew,  and  dwelt  in  the  wilderness, 
fn  the6  and  became  a bowman  .u  21  And  he  dwelt  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran;  and 
nesser  his  mother  took  him  a wife  from  the  land  of  Egypt  [or  Mucri]  .* * * * v 

§ 23.  Sacrifice  of  Isaac — The  Hebrew  Ideal  of  Obedience,  Gen.  221'19 
Early  Ephrairnite  Prophetic  Narratives 

God’s  Gen.  22  *And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  God  tested  Abraham, 
Abra-f  saying  to  him,  Abraham:  and  he  said,  Here  am  I.  2And  he  said,  Take  now 
devotion  thy  son,  thine  only  son,  Isaac,  whom  thou  lovest,  and  go  to  the  land  of 
Moriahw  [Revelation  of  Jehovah],  and  offer  him  there  for  a burnt-offering  on 
one  of  the  mountains  of  which  I shall  tell  thee. 

3Then  Abraham  rose  early  in  the  morning,  and  saddled  his  ass,  and  took 


q 219  Or  mocking;  but  in  the  story  Ishmael  is  only  a baby. 

r 21 11  Lit.,  was  evil  in  Abraham's  eyes. 

8 2112  Heb.,  called. 

t 2114.  16  Gk.  and  the  context  establish  the  above  readings.  Heb.  in  16  reads,  and  she  lifted 
up  her  voice  and  wept. 

u 2120  So  Gk.  The  Heb.  idiom  is  obscure. 

v 2121  The  two  words  in  the  Heb.  have  the  same  essential  vowels.  Cf.  § 18  note1. 

§ 23  This  story  contains  the  culminating  evidence  of  Abraham’s  unselfish  devotion  to  Je- 
hovah. Its  secondary  teaching  appears  to  be  that  the  sacrifice  of  human  beings,  which  was  not 
uncommon  among  certain  other  Semitic  peoples,  was  not  acceptable  to  Israel’s  God.  The 
narrative  is  a literary  unit  and  bears  on  its  face  the  evidence  that  it  was  derived  from  the  early 
Ephrairnite  prophetic  group.  It  has  been  expanded  in  15-18  by  the  addition  of  a renewed  prom- 
ise, the  phraseology  of  which  has  much  in  common  with  the  Judean  and  late  prophetic  writ- 
ings. 

w 222  Syr.,  Amorites.  Possibly  added  by  a later  editor  interested  in  Solomon’s  temple 
Cf.  2 Sam.  2418ff.  Later  Jewish  tradition  definitely  identified  this  site  with  Jerusalem. 

9-i 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  ISAAC 


[Gen.  223 


Abra- 
ham’s 
kinsmen 
in  Aram 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

two  of  his  servants  with  him,  and  Isaac  his  son.  And  when  he  had  split  the 
wood  for  the  burnt-offering,  he  arose  and  went  to  the  place  of  which  God 
had  told  him. 1 * *  4On  the  third  day  Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw  the 
place  afar  off.  5And  Abraham  said  to  his  servants.  Stay  here  with  the  ass, 
while  I and  the  lad  go  yonder.  And  when  we  have  worshipped,  we  will 
come  back  to  you.  6Then  Abraham  took  the  wood  of  the  burnt-offering, 
and  laid  it  on  Isaac  his  son;  and  he  took  in  his  hand  the  fire  and  the  knife, 
and  they  both  went  on  together.  7And  Isaac  spoke  to  Abraham  his  father, 
and  said,  My  father!  and  he  said,  Yes,  my  son.  And  he  said,  Here  is  the 
fire  and  the  wood,  but  where  is  the  lamb  for  a burnt-offering  ? 8 And  Abraham 
said,  My  son,  God  will  himself  provide  the  lamb  for  a burnt-offering.  So 
they  two  went  on  together.  9When  they  came  to  the  place  of  which  God 
had  told  him,  Abraham  built  the  altar  there,  and  laid  the  wood  in  order,  and 
bound  Isaac  his  son,  and  laid  him  on  the  altar  on  top  of  the  wood.  10 *Then 
Abraham  stretched  forth  his  hand,  and  took  the  knife  to  slay  his  son. 

nBut  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  called  to  him  from  heaven,  saying,  Abra- 
ham, Abraham!  and  he  said.  Here  am  I.  12And  he  said,  Lay  not  thy  hand 
upon  the  lad,  neither  do  anything  to  him,  for  now  I know  that  thou  art  one 
who  fears  God,  since  thou  hast  not  withheld  thy  son,  thine  only  son,  from 
me.  13Then  Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  looked,  and  behold,  there  was 
a xram  caught  in  the  thicket  by  his  horns.  So  Abraham  went  and  took  the 
ram,  and  offered  him  up  for  a burnt -offering  instead  of  his  son.  14 Abraham 
therefore  called  the  name  of  that  place  Jehovah -jireh  [Jehovah  provides]  / so 
that  it  is  said  to-day, z In  the  mountain  of  Jehovah  provision  will  be  made.3, 

15And  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  called  to  Abraham  a second  time  from  heaven,  16and 
said,  By  myself  have  I sworn,  saith  Jehovah,  because  thou  hast  done  this  thing,  and  hast 
not  withheld  thy  son,  thine  only  son,  17that  I will  surely  bless  thee,  and  I will  make  thine 
offspring  as  numerous  as  the  stars  of  the  heavens  and  as  the  sand  which  is  on  the  sea-shore, 
bo  that  thy  descendants  shall  possess  the  gates  of  their  enemies,  18and  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  shall  invoke  for  themselves  a blessing  like  that  of  thy  descendants,  because  thou  hast 
obeyed  my  voice. 

‘•-‘So  Abraham  returned  to  his  servants,  and  they  arose  and  went  together 
to  Beersheba.  And  Abraham  dwelt  in  Beersheba. 


Abra- 
ham’s 
obedi- 
ence and 
prepara- 
tions for 
the  sac- 
rifice 


The  di- 
vine ap- 
proval of 
Abra- 
ham 
and  dis- 
approval 

man  sac- 
rifice 


Renewal 
of  the 


ham 


Return 
to  Beer- 
sheba 


§ 24.  Securing  a Wife  for  Isaac — Later  Aramean  Movements  toward  Canaan, 
Gen.  22s0-24,  24,  255>  6>  llb>  19> 20 

Later  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  22  20Now  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  it 
was  told  Abraham  saying,  Behold,  Milcah  has  also  borne 
children  to  your  brother  Nahor,  21Uz  his  first  born,  Buz 


1 2213  Heb.,  behold,  behind,  a ram  caught.  A slight  emendation  of  the  text  gives  the  above 

reading,  which  is  confirmed  by  the  Gk.,  Sam.,  Syr.,  Targums  and  many  codices. 

y 2214  Lit. , sees.  The  later  Judean  editor  who  expanded  the  story  at  this  point  has  apparently 

substituted  the  word  Jehovah  for  God,  which  would  be  found  in  the  original  Ephraimite  narra- 

tive. 

z 2214  I.e.,  it  has  become  a -proverbial  statement.  Cf.  Ex.  226,  § 61. 

» 2214  The  Heb.  is  difficult,  lit.  will  be  seen.  It  may  also  be  rendered,  On  the  mountain  of 

Jehovah,  he  [Jehovah]  appears,  or  on  the  mountain  where  Jehovah  is  seen.  The  context  favors 

the  translation  given  above. 

§ 24  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  this,  the  longest  narrative  in  the  Pentateuch,  relates  to  a 

characteristic  oriental  courtship.  The  story  as  a whole  is  from  the  Judean  prophetic  historians, 

95 


Late  Priestly 
Narratives 

25 19  And  these 
are  the  genera- 


Instruc- 
tions to 
his  ser- 
vant 


Gen.2221]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 

Later  Judean  Prophetic 

his  brother,  Kemuel  the  father  of  Aram,  22Chesed,  Hazo 
and  Pildash,  Jidlaph  and  Bethuel.  23  (And  Bethuel 
begat  Rebekah).  These  eight  Milcah  bore  to  Nahor, 

Abraham’s  brother.  24 And  his  concubine  whose  name 
was  Reumah,  also  bore  Tebah,  Gaham,  Tahash,  and 
Maacah. 

24  1 When  Abraham  was  old  and  far  advanced  in  years 
and  Jehovah  had  blessed  himb  in  all  things,  2Abraham 
said  to  the  eldest  of  his  house  servants,  who  had  charge  of 
all  his  affairs,  Put  your  hand  under  my  thigh,0  3while  I 
make  you  swear  by  Jehovah,  the  God  of  heaven  and  the 
God  of  earth,  that  you  will  not  take  a wife  for  my  son 
from  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites,  among  whom  I 
dwell,  4but  that  you  will  go  to  my  country  and  to  my 
kindred  and  take  there  a wife  for  my  son  Isaac.  5 And 
the  servant  said  to  him,  Perhaps  the  woman  will  not  be 
willing  to  follow  me  to  this  land.  Must  I then  bring  your  son  back  to  the 
land  from  which  you  came?  6and  Abraham  said  to  him,  See  to  it  that  you 
do  not  bring  my  son  there  again.  7 Jehovah,  the  God  of  heaven,  who  took 
me  from  my  father’s  house  and  from  the  land  of  my  nativity  and  who 
talked  with  me  and  who  swore  to  me  saying,  ‘To  thy  descendants  will  I 
give  this  land,’  may  he  send  his  Messenger  before  you  and  may  you  secure 
there  a wife  for  my  son.  8But  if  the  woman  is  not  willing  to  follow  you,  then 
you  will  be  free  from  this  oath  to  me;  only  never  again  bring  my  son  back 
there.  9So  the  servant  put  his  hand  under  the  thigh  of  his  master  and  swore 
to  him  concerning  this  matter. d 

10Then  the  servant  took  ten  of  his  master’s  camels  and  set  out,  having  all 
kinds  of  his  master’s  precious  things.  Thus  he  arose  and  went  to  Aram 


[Gen.  2519 

Late  Priestly 
Narratives 

tions  of  Isaac, 
Abraham’s  son. 
Abraham  begat 
Isaac.  20 A n d 
Isaac  was  forty 
years  old,  when 
he  took  Rebek- 
ah, the  daughter 
of  Bethuel  the 
Aramean  of  Pad- 
dan  -aram,  the 
sister  of  Laban 
the  Aramean,  to 
be  his  wife. 


but  evidence  is  not  lacking  that  two  originally  distinct  traditions  have  been  closely  fused 
together;  or  else  it  has  been  expanded  through  popular  transmission.  Some  of  these  indica- 
tions are:  (1)  Double  questions  and  answers  in  2423-25.  Cf.  single  question  in  47.  (2)  Evident 

duplication  or  comparison  in29  . 30  in  regard  to  Laban’s  going  to  meet  the  servant.  (3)  Doublet 
in  61.  (4)  In  69  Rebekah  has  apparently  only  one  servant  but  in  61  several.  (5)  Variations  from 

the  style  of  the  Judean  narratives.  Two  complete  accounts,  however,  are  not  discernible. 
It  seems  more  probable  that  the  variations  are  due  to  the  successive  elaboration  to  which  the 
story  easily  and  naturally  lent  itself.  This  conclusion  is  confirmed  by  its  expanded  and 
highly  embellished  form  which  is  in  striking  contrast  to  the  brief  priestly  version  in  2520.  The 
one  resembles  a picturesque  historical  novel  with  a definite  purpose,  the  other  is  a bald  state- 
ment of  facts.  Cf.  for  literary  form,  Introd.  p.  15. 

The  original  narrative  of  24  seems  to  have  represented  Bethuel  and  Laban  as  brothers. 
Cf.  69  . 60,  and  55 , where  the  Gk.  has  brothers.  In50,  they  are  mentioned  together,  Laban  being 
given  the  precedence,  which  is  incongruous  with  the  theory  that  he  was  the  son  of  Bethuel. 
The  confusion  in  this  regard  in  24  appears  to  be  due  to  a later  attempt  to  reconcile  the  older 
story  with  the  priestly  tradition  (cf.  2520)  that  Bethuel  was  the  father  of  Laban  and  Rebekah. 
Thus,  although  24  may  embody  an  old  prophetic  story,  in  its  present  form  it  comes  from 
a later  stratum  of  the  Judean  narratives.  Its  chief  purpose  seems  to  have  been  to  entertain. 
It  was  undoubtedly  a great  favorite  as  told  beside  the  camp-fire  and  at  the  wedding 
feasts.  It  also  emphasized  the  obligation  to  marry  within  the  tribe  or  nation.  Cf.  Introd. 
p.  13' 

b 241  Heb.  idiom  repeats  Abraham. 

c 242  Cf.  for  a similar  ceremony,  Gen.  4729.  The  custom  is  also  in  vogue  among  other  primi- 
tive peoples. 

d 249  Apparently  in  the  original  story  the  account  of  the  death  of  Abraham  was  found  at  this 
point,  but  was  left  out  by  the  later  editor  who  inserted  the  priestly  version,  § 25.  This  is 
implied  by  2465b  and  256. 

96 


SECURING  A WIFE  FOR  ISAAC 


[Gen.  2410 


Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Naharaime  to  the  city  of  Nalior.  nAnd  he  made  the  camels  kneel  down 
outside  the  city  by  the  well  of  water  at  eventide,  the  time  when  women  go 
out  to  draw  water.  12Then  he  said,  O Jehovah,  the  God  of  my  master 
Abraham,  give  me,  I pray  thee,  good  successf  to-day,  and  show  kindness  to 
my  master  Abraham.  13Eehold  I am  standing  by  the  spring  of  water  and 
the  daughters  of  the  men  of  the  city  are  coming  out  to  draw  water.  14May 
it  be  that  the  maiden  to  whom  I shall  say,  ‘Fray  let  down  your  water  jar  that 
I may  drink’;  and  she  shall  answer,  ‘Drink,  and  I will  also  water  your 
camels,’  let  her  be  the  one  thou  hast  destined  for  thy  servant  Isaac;  and 
by  this  shall  I know  that  thou  hast  showed  kindness  to  my  master. 

15Then  even  before  he  had  finished  speaking, behold  therecameout  Rebekah, 
who  was  born  to  Bethuel  the  son  of  Milcah,the  wife  of  Nalior,  Abraham’s 
brother,  with  her  water  jar  upon  her  shoulder.  16And  the  maiden  was  very 
fair  to  look  upon,  a virgin  whom  no  man  had  known.  And  she  went 
down  to  the  spring  and  filled  her  jar,  and  came  up.  17Then  the  servant  ran 
to  meet  her,  saying,  Pray  let  me  drink  a little  water  from  your  jar.  18 And 
she  said,  Drink  my  lord,  and  hastened  to  let  down  her  water  jar  upon  her 
hand  and  let  him  drink.  19When  she  had  finished  giving  him  drink  she  said, 
I will  draw  for  your  camels  also,  until  they  are  done  drinking.  20 And  she 
made  haste  to  empty  her  jar  into  the  trough  and  ran  again  to  the  well  to  draw, 
and  drew  for  all  his  camels.  21Meanwhile  the  man  was  gazing  at  her  in- 
tently, keeping  silent  in  order  to  determine  whether  Jehovah  had  made  his 
journey  prosperous  or  not.  22Then,  as  soon  as  the  camels  had  finished  drink- 
ing, the  man  took  a gold  ring  of  a half  shekel  weight  , and  two  bracelets  of  ten 
shekels  weight  of  gold  for  her  arms,  23  and  said,  Whose  daughter  are  you? 
tell  me,  I pray  you.  Is  there  room  in  your  father’s  house  for  us  to  lodge  in  ? 
24 And  she  said  to  him,  I am  the  daughter  of  Bethuel,  the  son  of  Milcah,  whom 
she  bore  to  Nahor.  25She  also  said  to  him,  Both  straw  and  provender  are 
plentiful  with  us  and  there  is  room  to  lodge  in.  26Then  the  man  bowed  his 
head  and  worshipped  Jehovah,  27 saying,  Blessed  be  Jehovah,  the  God  of  my 
master  Abraham  who  hath  not  withdrawn  his  loving  kindness  and  his  fidelity 
from  my  master.  As  for  me,  Jehovah  hath  led  me  on  the  journey  to  the 
house  of  my  master’s  kinsmen. 

28Then  the  maiden  ran,  and  told  these  words  to  her  mother’s  house. 
29Now  Rebekah  had  a brother  whose  name  was  Laban.  And  Laban  ran 
out  to  the  man  at  the  spring.  30 And  it  came  to  pass  when  he  saw  the  ring, 
and  the  bracelets  on  his  sister’s  arms,  and  when  he  heard  the  words  of 
Rebekah  saying,  Thus  the  man  spoke  to  me;  that  he  came  to  the  man  who 
was  still  standing  by  the  camels  at  the  fountain.  31  And  he  said,  Come  in, 
you  who  are  blessed  of  Jehovah!  WThy  do  you  stand  outside  when  I have 
the  house  and  room  for  the  camels  all  ready  ? 32So  he  brought  the  man 
into  the  house,  and  ungirded  the  camels;  and  gave  straw  and  provender  for 

e 2410  Usually  translated,  Mesopotamia , but  this  name  first  appears  much  later  and  did  not 
represent  the  same  territory.  Aram  Naharaim  [Aram  of  the  two  rivers]  included  the  region  on 
both  sides  of  the  middle  Euphrates.  Cf.  map  opp.  p.  71. 

f 2412  Heb.  lit.,  Cause  to  meet  before  me.  Gk.,  Make  good  the  way  before  me.  Am.  RV.,  Send 
me  good  speed.  The  Heb.  idiom  means,  Cause  me  to  attain  what  I seek.  Cf.  also  2720. 

97 


The  ser- 
vant’s 
journey 
and  ar- 
rival m 
Aram 


His 

meeting 
and  con- 
versa- 
tion with 
Rebekah 


His  re- 
ception 
at  her 
house 


Gen.  2432]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 

Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

the  camels,  and  water  to  wash  his  feet  and  the  feet  of  the  men  who  were  with 
him.  33j}ut  when  food  was  set  before  him  to  eat,  he  said,  I will  not  eat  until 
I have  made  known  my  errand.  And  he  said,  Speak  on.  34And  he  said,  I 
am  Abraham’s  servant.  35 And  Jehovah  hath  blessed  my  master  exceedingly, 
so  that  he  has  become  very  rich.  He  has  given  him  flocks  and  herds,  and 
silver  and  gold,  and  men-servants  and  maid-servants,  and  camels  and  asses. 
36Now  Sarah  my  master’s  wife  bore  a son  to  my  master  when  she  was  old,  and 
to  him  he  has  given  all  that  he  has.  37And  my  master  made  me  swear  saying, 
‘Do  not  take  a wife  for  my  son  from  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites,  in 
whose  land  I dwell,  38but  you  shall  go  to  my  father’s  house  and  to  my  kindred 
and  take  a wife  for  my  son.’  39Then  I said  to  my  master,  ‘What  if  the 
woman  will  not  follow  me.  ’ 40 But  he  said  to  me,  ‘ May  Jehovah,  before  whom 
I walk,  send  his  Messenger  with  you  and  prosper  your  mission,  and  may  you 
take  for  my  son  a wife  of  my  kindred  and  of  my  father’s  house.  41Then  you 
will  be  free  from  your  oath  to  me;  however,  when  you  come  to  my  kindred, 
if  they  do  not  give  her  to  you,  you  shall  also  be  free  from  your  oath  to  me.’ 
^Sol  came  to-day  to  the  spring  and  said,  ‘ O Jehovah,  the  God  of  my  master 
Abraham,  if  now  thou  wilt  prosper  my  mission  on  which  I am  going, 
43behold,  I am  standing  by  the  spring  of  water,  may  it  be  that  if  I shall 
say  to  the  maiden  who  comes  forth  to  draw,  “Give  me,  I pray  you,  a 
little  water  from  your  jar  to  drink,”  44and  she  shall  say  to  me,  “Drink,  and  I 
will  also  draw  for  your  camels,”  let  that  one  be  the  woman  whom  Jehovah 
hath  destined  for  my  master’s  son.”  45Even  before  I had  done  speaking  to 
myself,  behold  Rebekah  came  forth  with  her  water  jar  on  her  shoulder,  and 
went  down  to  the  spring  and  drew.  And  when  I said  to  her,  ‘Pray  let  me 
drink,  46she  made  haste,  and  let  down  her  water  jar  from  her  shoulder  and 
said,  ‘Drink,  and  I will  also  water  your  camels.’  So  I drank  and  she  also 
watered  the  camels.  47Then  I asked  her,  saying,  ‘Whose  daughter  are  you  ?’ 
And  she  said,  ‘The  daughter  of  Bethuel,  Nahor’s  son,  whom  Milcahbore  to 
him.’  Then  I put  the  ring  in  her  nose,  and  the  bracelets  on  her  arms. 
48 And  I bowed  my  head  and  worshipped  Jehovah,  and  blessed  Jehovah  the 
God  of  my  master  Abraham,  who  had  led  me  in  the  right  way  to  take  the 
daughter  of  my  master’s  brother  for  his  son.  49 And  now  if  you  are  ready  to 
deal  kindly  and  truly  with  my  master,  tell  me,  and  if  not,  tell  me,  that  I may 
act  accordingly.  50Then  Laban  and  Bethuel  answered  and  said, The  matter 
is  in  the  hands  of  Jehovah.8  We  cannot  give  you  either  an  adverse  or  a 
favorable  answer.  51Behold,  Rebekah  is  before  you,  take  her  and  go  and  let 
her  be  the  wife  of  your  master’s  son,  as  Jehovah  hath  spoken.  52And  it 
came  to  pass  that  when  Abraham’s  servant  heard  their  words,  he  bowed 
himself  to  the  earth  before  Jehovah.  53Then  the  servant  brought  forth 
jewels  of  silver  and  jewels  of  gold  and  clothing  and  gave  them  to  Rebekah. 
He  also  gave  to  her  brother  and  to  her  mother  precious  things.  54And  he  and 
the  men  who  were  with  him  ate  and  drank,  and  remained  all  night. 

When  they  rose  up  in  the  morning,  he  said,  Send  me  away  to  my 


e 2450  Heb.,  The  thing  proceeds  from  Jehovah. 

98 


SECURING  A WIFE  FOR  ISAAC 


[Gen.  2454 


Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

master;  55but  her  brother  and  her  mother  answered,  Let  the  maiden  remain 
with  us  a few  days,  at  least  ten;  after  that  she  may  go.  56But  he  said  to  them, 
Hinder  me  not,  since  Jehovah  hath  prospered  my  mission.  Send  me  away  that 
I may  go  to  my  master.  57Then  they  said,  We  will  call  the  maiden  and  con- 
sult her  personally.  58 And  when  they  called  Rebekah  and  said  to  her.  Will 
you  go  with  this  man  ? she  said,  I will  go.  59So  they  sent  away  Rebekah  their 
sister,  and  her  nurse  with  Abraham’s  servant,  and  his  men.  60 And  they 
blessed  Rebekah,  saying  to  her, 

Our  sister  ! may  you  become  thousands  and  thousands  ! 

And  may  your  descendants  possess  the  gates  of  their  enemies. 

61Then  Rebekah  arose  with  her  maids  and,  riding  upon  the  camels,  followed 
the  man.  Thus  the  servant  took  Rebekah  and  went  away. 

62Now  Isaac  had  come  from  the  direction* * * * § * * * *1  of  Beer-lahai-roi,  in  the  South 
Country.  63 And  as  Isaac  was  going  out  to  meditate  in  the  field  at  eventide, 
he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw  that  there  were  camels  coming.  64 Rebekah  too 
lifted  up  her  eyes,  and  when  she  saw  Isaac,  she  alighted  from  the  camel. 
65 And  she  said  to  the  servant,  Who  is  this  man  walking  in  the  field  to  meet  us  ? 
And  when  the  servant  said,  It  is  my  master,  she  took  her  veil  and  covered 
herself.  66Then  the  servant  told  Isaac  all  the  things  that  he  had  done.  67 And 
Isaac  brought  her  to  the  tent  of  Sarah  his  mother  and  took  Rebekah,  and 
she  became  his  wife;  and  he  loved  her.  Thus  was  Isaac  comforted  concern- 
ing his  mother.  25  5Now  Abraham  had  given  all  that  he  had  to  Isaac.1  6 But 
to  the  sons  of  the  concubines  whom  Abraham  had,  Abraham  had  given  gifts,  while  he  yet 
lived,  and  had  sent  them  away  from  Isaac  his  son,  eastward,  to  the  east  country.!  ***)And 
Isaac  dwelt  by  Beer-lahai-roi. 

§ 25.  Death  of  Sarah  and  Purchase  of  the  Cave  of  Machpelah,  Gen.  23 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Gen.  23  *Now  the  length  of  Sarah’s  life  was  a hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  years;  these  were  the  years  of  the  life  of  Sarah.  2 And  when  Sarah  died 
in  Kiriath-arba  (that  is  Hebron) , in  the  land  of  Canaan,  Abraham  went  to 
mourn  for  Sarah,  and  to  weep  for  her. 


h 2462  Heb.  lit.,  entering  in,  spoken  from  the  point  of  the  Heb.  writer  and  therefore  equiva- 
lent to  the  English  idiom  given  above.  Gk.  text  has  Isaac  proceeded  through  the  desert  to  the 
well,  etc. 

* 25s  Since  2430  contains  a reference  to  this  fact,  it  is  held  by  some  scholars  that  this  verse 
originally  followed  241. 

i 256  Probably  an  editorial  expansion  of  5.  In  the  early  prophetic  narratives  only  one  concu- 

bine is  mentioned,  and  the  expulsion  of  Hagar’s  son  had  already  been  recounted  in  each. 

§ 25  The  theme,  and  repetitions,  formal  style  all  proclaim  the  priestly  origin  of  this  chapter. 
Interest  in  the  traditional  graves  of  their  ancestors,  which  is  especially  marked  among  Semitic 
peoples,  doubtless  explains  why  the  story  has  been  preserved.  In  this  possession  the  Hebrews 
probably  also  felt  that  they  had  a sacred,  vested  right  in  Canaan,  which  all  other  peoples  were 
under  solemn  obligations  to  regard.  Possibly,  as  has  been  suggested  (Gunkel,  Genesis,  251), 

the  priestly  historians  were  led  to  give  the  tradition  the  prominence  thev  do,  because,  when 

they  wrote,  the  historic  cave  was  held  by  their  hated  enemies  the  Idumeans.  They  may  also 

have  aimed  to  teach  that  the  sacred  places,  which  continued  long  after  the  exile  to  be  regarded 

with  veneration  by  the  common  people,  were  consecrated  simply  by  the  memory  of  their  an- 
cestors, not  by  the  divine  blessing,  as  was  the  true  sanctuary  at  Jerusalem.  The  bare  realism, 
which  characterizes  the  account  of  the  purchase  of  the  cave,  was  well  calculated  to  dispel 

superstitious  veneration. 


His  de- 
parture 
and  re- 
turn 
with  Re 
bekah 


Meeting 

with 

Isaac 


Death 
of  Sara! 


99 


Abra- 

ham’s 

request 


Re- 
sponse 
of  the 
Hittites 


Negotia- 
tions for 
the  cave 
of  Mach- 
pelah 


Resume 
of  the 
transac- 
tion 


Burial  of 
Sarah 


Death 


Gen.  233]  THE  ABRAHAM  STORIES 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

3Then  Abraham  rose  up  from  the  presence  of  his  dead  and  spoke  to  the 
Hittites,  saying,  4I  am  a stranger  and  a sojourner  among  you;  give  me  pos- 
session of  a burying-place  with  you,  that  I may  bury  my  dead  out  of  my  sight. 
3 And  the  Hittites  answered  Abraham,  saying  to  him,  6Hear  us,  my  lord; 
you  are  a prince  of  God  among  us;  in  the  choice  of  our  sepulchres  bury  your 
dead.  None  of  us  shall  withhold  from  you  his  sepulchre,  that  you  may  bury 
your  dead. 

7And  Abraham  rose  up  and  bowed  before  the  people  of  the  land,  the  Hittites, 
8and  conversed  with  them  saying.  If  it  is  your  intention  that  I should  bury 
my  dead  out  of  my  sight,  hear  me,  and  speak  for  me  to  Ephron  the  son  of 
Zohar,  9to  give  me  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  which  he  has,  which  is  at  the  end  of 
his  field.  For  the  full  price  let  him  give  it  to  me  in  the  midst  of  you  that  I may 
possess  a burying-place.  10Now  Ephron  was  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the 
Hittites,  and  Ephron  the  Hittite  answered  Abraham  in  the  hearing  of  the 
Hittites,  even  of  all  that  went  in  and  out  at  the  gate  of  his  city,  saying,  11Nay, 
my  lord,  hear  me.  I give  the  field  to  you  and  the  cave  that  is  in  it  I give  to 
you;  in  the  presence  of  the  children  of  my  people  I give  it  to  you;  bury  your 
dead.  12Then  Abraham  bowed  before  the  people  of  the  land,  13and  spoke 
to  Ephron  in  the  hearing  of  the  people  of  the  land,  saying,  But  if  only  you — 
pray  hear  mek — I will  give  the  price  of  the  field;  take  it  of  me  that  I may 
bury  my  dead  there.  14 And  Ephron  answered  Abraham  saying,  to  him,  15My 
lord,  listen  to  me;  a piece  of  land  worth  four  hundred  shekels  of  silver, 
what  is  that  between  me  and  you?  Bury  therefore  your  dead.  16Then 
Abraham  accepted  Ephron ’s  terms  and  Abraham  weighed  to  Ephron  the 
silver,  which  he  had  named  in  the  hearing  of  the  Hittites,  four  hundred 
shekels  of  silver,  current  with  the  merchant. 

17So  the  field  of  Ephron  which  was  in  Machpelah,  which  was  before  Mamre, 
the  field,  and  the  cave  which  was  in  it,  with  all  the  trees  that  were  in  the  field, 
that  were  in  all  the  border  of  it  round  about,  were  ensured  18to  Abraham  for 
a possession  in  the  presence  of  the  Hittites,  before  all  that  went  in  at  the  gate 
of  his  city. 

19And  after  this  Abraham  buried  Sarah  his  wife  in  the  cave  of  the  field  of 
Machpelah  before  Mamre  (that  is  Hebron),  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  20Thus 
the  field  and  the  cave  that  is  in  it  were  ensured  by  the  Hittites  to  Abraham 
that  he  might  possess  a burying-place. 

§ 26.  Death  of  Abraham — The  Blessed  End  of  God’s  Servant,  Gen.  257'11* 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Gen.  25  7Now  these  are  the  days  of  the  years  of  Abraham’s  life  which  he 
lived:  one  hundred  and  seventy -five  years.  8So  Abraham  breathed  his  last, 
dying  in  a good  old  age,  old  and  satisfied  with  living,* 1  and  was  gathered  to 
his  father’s  kin. 

k 2313  Broken  construction,  but  a faithful  reflection  of  oriental  methods  of  bargaining  and 
of  the  liberal  spirit  which  Abraham  manifests  throughout  the  interview. 

§ 26  The  sequel  in  the  late  priestly  narratives  of  the  preceding  story. 

1 2£>8  I.  with  the  full  measure  of  his  years. 

] 00 


DEATH  OF  ABRAHAM 


[Gen.  25° 


Late  Pnestly  Narratives 

9Then  Isaac  and  Ishmael  his  sons  buried  him  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  in  Burial  in 
the  field  of  Ephron  the  son  of  Zohar  the  Hittite,  which  is  before  Mamre,  10the  of  Mack 
field  which  Abraham  purchased  of  the  Hittites.  There  Abraham  was  buried  pelah 
with  Sarah  his  wife.  llaAnd  it  came  to  pass  after  the  death  of  Abraham, 
that  God  blessed  Isaac  his  son. 

§ 27.  Arabian  Descendants  of  Abraham — The  Relationship  between  the 
Arabians  and  Hebrews,  Gen.  251-4’ 12-18 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 

cwrai  Gen.  25  1 Now  Abraham  had  taken 

south  another  wife,  whose  name  was  Ketu- 
rah.  2 And  she  bore  him  Zimran, 
Jokshan,  Medan,  Midian,  Ishbak, 
and  Shuah.  3And  Jokshan  begat 
Sheba,  and  Dedan.  And  the  sons  of 
Dedan  were  Asshurim,  Letushim,  and 
Leummim.  4And  the  sons  of  Midi- 
an, Ephah,  Epher,  Hanoch,  Abida, 
and  Eldaah.  All  these  were  the 
children  of  Keturah.  18 And  they 
dwelt  from  Havilah  to  Shur  that  is 
before  Egypt,  as  far  as11  Assyria;  he 
dwelt  over  against  all  his  kinsmen. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

25  12Now  these  are  the  generations  Theish- 
of  Ishmael,  Abraham’s  son  whom maelltes 
Hagar  the  Egyptian,  Sarah’s  maid- 
servant bore  to  Abraham.  13These 
then  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of 
Ishmael,  named  according  to  their 
generations:  the  first-born  of  Ish- 
mael, Nebaioth;  then  Kedar,  Ad- 
beel,  Mibsam,  14Mishma,  Dumah, 
Massa,15Hadad,Tema,  Jetur,  Naph- 
ish,  and  Kedemah.  16These  are  the 
sons  of  Ishmael,  and  these  are  their 
names,  by  their  villages,  and  by 
their  encampments,  twelve  princes 
according  to  their  peoples. 

17 And  these  are  the  years  of  the  Death  of 
life  of  Ishmael,  one  hundred  and  Ishmael 
thirty-seven  years;  and  he  breathed 
his  last,m  and  was  gathered  to  his 
people. 


§ 27  In  107  Sheba  and  Dedan  are  classified  by  the  late  priestly  historians  with  Cush,  so  that 
253  cannot  be  from  the  same  source.  The  later  Judean  prophetic  historians,  however,  make 
Sheba  the  son  of  Joktan  in  1028  as  in  253.  Although  these  two  lists  are  not  otherwise  in  agree- 
ment, it  is  probable  that  they  are  from  the  same  general  source,  The  characteristic  expression, 
all  these  were  the  children  of , confirms  this  conclusion.  2512"17  is  originally  from  the  priestly  source. 
It  is  not  improbable  that  Abraham  in  251  originally  read  Ishmael , for  the  inconsistency  of 
Abraham’s  marriage  after  he  has  been  described  as  a very  old  man  on  the  verge  of  the  grave  is 
patent.  Otherwise  251’4  must  have  earlier  stood  in  conjunction  with  16.  The  tradition  in  251'4 
may  be  due  to  a lingering  remembrance  among  the  Hebrews  that  their  ancestors  were  Arabs, 
but  more  probably  it  simply  aimed  to  trace  a relationship  with  the  spice-trading  Arabian  tribes. 
m 2517  Lit.,  breathed  out  or  expired  and  died. 
n 2518  Lit.,  as  you  go  toward.  Cf.  1019>  30. 


101 


II 


The  ora- 
cle con- 
cerning 
the  un- 
born 
twins 


THE  JACOB  (ISRAEL)  STORIES— THE  EARLY  TRIBAL 
RELATIONS  AND  EXPERIENCES  OF  THE 
ISRAELITES,  Gen.  2521-364\  38 

§ 28.  Birth  of  Jacob  and  Esau — Antiquity  of  the  Rivalry  between  the  Israelites 
and  Edomites,  Gen.  2521-28 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  25  21Now  Isaac  prayed  to  Jehovah  in  behalf  of  his  wife,  because  she 
was  barren;  and  Jehovah  heard  his  prayer,  so  that  Rebekah  his  wife  con- 
ceived. 22 And  the  children  struggled  together  within  her;  and  she  said,  If 
it  be  so,  why  has  this  befallen  me?a  Therefore  she  went  to  inquire  of  Jeho- 
vah. 23 And  Jehovah  said  to  her. 

Two  nations  are  in  thy  womb. 

And  the  two  races,  which  spring  from  thee,  shall  separate  from  each  other, b 
And  one  people  shall  be  stronger  than  the  other. 

And  the  elder  shall  serve  the  younger. 


The  Jacob. Israel  Stories. — The  prophets  of  Judah  and  Northern  Israel  found  a rich 
store  of  illus  rations  in  the  Jacob  stories.  The  fact  that  the  variations  between  the  versions 
are  not  as  a rule  great,  explains  how  it  was  possible  to  weld  the  different  narratives  together  so 
closely.  The  later  prophet  who  combined  them  also  avoided  repetition,  especially  where  the 
language  and  representation  were  similar  in  both.  At  other  times  he  appears  to  have  followed 
one  of  the  two  versions,  almost  ignoring  the  other.  The  result  is  that  one  of  the  versions  is 
often  very  fragmentary,  when  the  composite  narrative  is  resolved  into  its  constituent  parts. 
For  the  structure  and  origin  of  the  Jacob  stories  cf.  Introd.,  pp.  22,  23. 

The  fusion  of  the  two  prophetic  strands  was  so  early  and  close  that  the  resulting  portrait 
of  the  patriarch  is  drawn  with  unusual  fulness  and  consistency.  In  the  Judean  narratives  he 
is  represented  as  attaining  his  ends  by  his  own  energy  and  craft,  while  in  the  Ephraimite  his 
crimes  are  not  presented  so  baldly:  his  mother,  for  example,  assumes  the  responsibility  for  the 
deception  of  his  aged  father,  2712.  His  important  acts  are  also  done  at  the  direct  instigation 
of  God,  314-13.  The  late  priestly  narratives  say  nothing  of  his  faults  and  give  as  the  reason  for 
his  departure,  not  fear  of  Esau’s  wrath  but  obedience  to  his  father’s  command  to  secure  a wife 
from  Paddan-Aram,  281-4.  The  Jacob  who  stands  out  distinctly  from  the  pages  of  Genesis  is 
the  Jacob  of  the  prophets,  and  especially  of  the  Judean  narratives.  In  many  ways  he  is  the 
antithesis  of  Abraham.  The  latter  was  the  embodiment  of  the  spiritual  ideals  of  the  early 
Hebrew  prophets;  but  Jacob  was  a type  of  the  race,  as  it  really  was — not  what  its  religious 
teaohers  fain  would  make  it.  With  unsparing  fidelity  and  realism  they  presented  in  this 
character-sketch  the  faults  and  virtues  of  their  contemporaries.  Therein  an  overmastering 
love  for  material  possessions,  which  does  not  hesitate  to  employ  lying  and  theft  to  attain  its 
selfish  ends,  is  combined  with  that  undaunted  persistency  by  which  Israel,  though  a younger 
brother,  succeeded  in  supplanting  the  older  Semitic  peoples  in  the  possession  of  Palestine.  At 
the  same  time  Jacob’s  ambition  is  not  limited  to  attaining  material  things.  Faith  in  Jehovah 
guides  him,  as  it  did  the  people  who  regarded  him  as  their  ancestor,  to'spiritual  experiences  far 
surpassing  his  aspirations.  In  the  school  of  affliction  he  learns  those  vital  lessons  which  fit 
him  to  be  the  father  and  type  of  a race  with  a peculiar  destiny  and  mission.  Thus,  by  the 
skilful  adaptation  of  these  familiar  old  tales,  Israel’s  teachers  presented  forcibly  and  concretely 
the  morals  which  they  sought  to  impress,  and  emphasized  the  supreme  fact  that  long  before  they 
became  a nation  Jehovah  was  leading  and  training  his  people  by  varied  and  often  painful 
experiences  for  the  great  work  which  awaited  them. 

§28  This  story  is  evidently  taken  from  the  Judean  narratives.  Cf.,  e.  g.,  Jehovah  in  11  ■ a.  The 
reference  in  the  sermons  of  the  Northern  Israelitish  prophet  Hosea  (123)  to  it  shows  that  it  was 
also  current  in  the  north.  According  to  25a  Esau  was  born  admoni,  red — probably  a reference 
to  the  popular  etymology  of  the  word  Edom.  The  statement  258  that  he  was  born,  all  over  like 
a hairy  garment , is  intended  to  give  the  derivation  of  Esau.  Hairy  may  well  be  a trace  of  the 
Ephraimite  narrative.  Cf.  27n-u,  which  is  from  the  same.  While  the  tradition  is  primarily 
etymological,  it  projects  backward  the  characteristics  of  the  two  peoples,  typified  by  Jacob 
and  Esau,  to  their  birth,  and  was  intended,  at  least  by  its  prophetic  compiler,  to  establish  the 
antiquity  of  Israel’s  right  to  rule  Edom.  Cf.  §§  5 and  30. 

» 25s  Heb.,  If  it  is  thus,  why  this  I ; Syr.,  // it  is  thus,  why  do  I live?  Gk.,  If  thus  it  is  about 
to  be  to  me,  wherefore  is  this  to  me?  A slight  change  in  the  Heb.  gives,  Why  has  this  befallen  me f 
This  meaning  is  not  only  confirmed  by  the  Gk.  but  also  by  the  context.  The  idea  seems  to  be 
Since  this  strange  -portent  has  come  to  me  what  is  its  significance? 

b 2523  Heb.,  And  two  peoples  from  thy  bowels  shall  separate  themselves. 

102 


BIRTH  OF  JACOB  AND  ESAU 


[Gen.  25s4 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

24 When  her  days  to  be  delivered  were  fulfilled,  there  were  indeed  twins  in 
her  womb.  25 And  the  first  came  forth  red,  all  over  like  a hairy  garment; 
so  they  called  his  name  Esau  [Hairy] . 26 And  afterwards  his  brother  came 

forth,  holding  fast  Esau’s  heel  with  his  hand;  so  his  name  was  called  Jacob 
[Heel-holder].  And  Isaac  was  sixty  years  old  when  she  gave  birth  to  them. 

27a,  c>jow  as  the  boys  grew  Esau  became  a skillful  hunter,  but  Jacob  a 
dweller  in  tents.  28 And  Isaac  loved  Esau — for  he  had  a taste0  for  game — 
and  Rebekah  loved  Jacob. 


§ 29.  Jacob’s  Purchase  of  the  Birthright — Title  of  the  Israelites  to  Canaan, 

Gen.  2^’^ 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  25  27bNow  Esau  was  a man  of  the  field  but  Jacob  was  a quiet  man. 
29Once  when  Jacob  was  preparing  a stew,d  Esau  came  in  from  the  field,  and 
he  was  faint;  30therefore  Esau  said  to  Jacob,  Feed  me,  I pray,  with  that  red  stuff 
theree,  for  I am  faint.  (Therefore  his  name  was  called  Edom  [Red].)  31But 
Jacob  said,  Sell  me  first  of  all  your  birthright.  32 And  Esau  replied,  Alas!  I 
am  nearly  dead,  therefore  of  what  use  is  this  birthright  to  me  ? 33 And  Jacob 
said,  Swear  to  me  first;  so  he  swore  to  him,  and  sold  his  birthright  to  Jacob. 
34Then  Jacob  gave  Esau  bread  and  stewed  lentils,  and  when  he  had  eaten  and 
drank,  he  rose  up  and  went  his  way.  Thus  Esau  despised  his  birthright. 


First 
scene : 
Isaac 
and 
Esau 


30.  Jacob’s  Departure  to  Aram  with  his  Father’s  Blessing — Persistency 
and  Craft  of  the  Early  Israelites,  Gen.  2634' 35,  27,  28'~9 


Early  Judean 

Gen.  21  iANow  it 
came  to  pass,  when 
Isaac  was  so  old  that 
he  could  not  see,  that 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

21  ]bWhen  Isaac’s  eyes 
were  dim,  he  called  Esau 
and  said  to  him,  My  son; 
and  he  said  to  him,  Here 


Priestly  Narratives 

26  34When  Esau  was 
forty  years  old  he  took 
to  wife  Judith  the 
daughter  of  Beeri  the 


c 25^  Heb.,  Game  was  in  his  mouth. 

§ 29  This  story  is  parallel  to  the  preceding  in  that  both  seek  to  explain  why  the  younger 
was  destined  to  rule  the  older.  The  probability  that  it  is  from  the  Ephraimite  narratives  is 
confirmed  by  the  later  allusions  to  it.  Cf.  27s6.  Vs.  30  also  gives  a variant  derivation  of 
the  word  Edom.  Vs.  27  is  apparently  composite,  the  first  part  being  from  the  Judean  source, 
which  accents  hunting  and  game,  while  the  latter  part  contains  the  logical  introduction  to  2°. 

d 2S29  Heb.  word  zidh , to  stew  or  boil,  is  onomatopoetic. 

® 2530  Or  possibly  the  Heb.  has  here  preserved  the  Arabic  name  of  a condiment  used  with 
bread  by  nomads. 

§ 30  Chap.  26,  which  tells  of  Isaac’s  deception  regarding  Rebekah  because  of  her  beauty, 
and  of  his  treaty  with  Abimelech,  interrupts  the  continuity  of  the  Jacob  narratives,  and,  as 
has  been  shown,  note  § 13,  contains  only  variant  versions  of  stories  also  associated  with  Abra^- 
ham.  The  original  sequel  to  those  in  §§  28,  29,  is  found  in  § 30.  Here,  as  might  be  anticipated, 
two  versions  of  the  way  in  which  Jacob  furthered  his  ambitions  have  been  combined.  The 
more  important  evidences  of  two  distinct  sources  are  the  parallels: 23  to  27 , 34  to  38 ; two  distinct 
tests,  one  by  smell  27  and  the  other  by  touch21;  in  3-  5-  25  - 31 . 33  game,  but  in  4.7b,9,i4, 17.  3i. 
savory  food;  in  4 before  I die,  but  in  7-  10  before  my  death;  in  15-  27  garment,  but  in  16  shins ; in  4-  19, 
25 ■ 31  soul  may  bless , but  in  7b*  10  7 may  bless;  in  20 • 27  Jehovah,  but  in  28  God.  Guided  by  these 
and  other  peculiarities,  it  is  possible  to  resolve  the  composite  narrative  into  its  original  constitu- 
ents. Later  references  in  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  narratives,  32  and  353-  7,  not  only 
indicate  that  each  had  its  version  of  Jacob’s  theft,  but  also  aid  in  the  analysis.  While  absolute 
certainty  is  not  assured  at  every  point  in  the*  analysis  here  given,  the  consistency  of  each 
narrative  with  itself  is  perhaps  the  best  evidence  that  it  is  in  general  correct.  The  comparative 

103 


Origin  of 
the 
names 
Esau 
and  Ja- 
cob 


Charac- 
teristics 
of  the 
brothers 


Sale  of 
the 
birth- 
right 


Esau’l 

mar- 

riages 


Gen.  271] 

Early  Judean 

he  called  Esau  his  el- 
der son,  2and  said, 
Behold  I am  old  and 
know  not  the  day  of 
my  death.  3Now  there- 
fore take,  I pray  you, 
your  weapons,  your 
quiver  and  your  bow, 
and  go  out  to  the  field, 
and  hunt  game  for  me, 
4bthat  I myself  may 
bless  you  before  I die. 
6bSo  Esau  went  to 
the  field  to  hunt  game 
in  order  to  bring  it  to 
him. 

second  6ThenRebekah  spoke 

scene  i , t i_  i 

Rebekah  to  Jacob  her  son  and 

Jacob  said,  I just  now  heard 
your  father  say  to 
your  brother  Esau, 
7a,  c‘  Ji r; ng  me  game 
that  I may  eat  and 
bless  you  in  the  name 
of  Jehovah.’  15 And 
Rebekah  took  the  fine 


4- 

THE  JACOB  STORIES 

Ephraimite  Prophetic 

am  I.  4aThen  he  said, 
make  me  savory  food, 
such  as  I love,  and  bring 
it  to  me,  that  I may  eat. 


&H.ow  Rebekah  heard 
when  Isa^c  spoke  to  Esau 
his  son [hand  she  said  to 
Jacob,  Behold,  your  fa- 
ther has  called  Esau  to 
bless  him,  for  I heard  him 
say,  7b<Make  me  savory 
food  that  I may  eat  and 
bless  you  before  my  death . 
8Now  therefore,  my  son, 


[Gen.  2634 

Priestly  Narratives 

Hittite,  and  Basemath 
the  daughter  of  Elon 
the  Hittite,  35and  they 
were  a grief  of  mind  to 
Isaac  and  to  Rebekah. 


27  46 And  Rebekah  Rebek- 

• 1 . Tf  T 1 • tlll'S  (IIS' 

said  to  Isaac,  1 am  dis-  gust 
gusted  with  life  because 
of  the  daughters  of 
Heth;  if  Jacob  take  a 
wife  of  the  daughters  of 
Heth,  such  as  these, 
the  women  of  the  land, 
what  is  life  to  me  ? 


completeness  of  each  is  also  surprising  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  two  have  been  so  closely 
combined. 

No  religious  teacher  familiar  with  the  exalted  standards  of  Jesus,  can  for  a moment  maintain 
that  Jacob’s  conduct,  as  portrayed  in  this  and  subsequent  stories,  is  morally  defensible.  The 
redeeming  elements  are  the  keen  sense  of  humor,  which  characterizes  them,  and  the  fact  that 
to  a certain  extent  at  least,  Jacob  suffers  the  consequences  of  his  trickery  and  deception. 
Their  primitive  origin  is  obvious.  They  were  probably  current  in  their  original  form  among 
the  pre-Hebrew  inhabitants  of  Canaan  and  shadowed  forth  early  tribal  relations.  In  that 
rude  age,  unenlightened  by  the  teachings  of  the  prophets,  they  were  undoubtedly  recounted 
with  pride. 

The  prose  narratives  seem  to  have  preserved  the  older  traditions;  while  the  poetical  passages, 
as  Gunkel  ( Genesis , 287)  has  pointed  out,  present  a different  and  on  the  whole  more  character- 
istically Hebrew  picture.  Thus,  e.  g.,  the  older  traditions  speak  of  only  two,  but  the  blessing, 
29 • 37,  of  many  brothers;  in  the  former  Jacob  is  a shepherd  and  Esau  a hunter,  but  in  28  the 
blessing  concerns  only  agriculturists  and  vineyard-keepers.  It  would  appear  that  the  early 
Hebrew  prophets  found  in  these  ancient  stories  suggestions  and  explanations  of  the  relations 
which  existed  in  their  day  between  the  Israelites  and  their  immediate  neighbors,  especially  the 
Edomites;  they  therefore  adopted  them,  and  being  realists  they  did  not  conceal  the  imper- 
fections of  their  traditional  ancestor.  In  the  poetical  passages,  which  they  seem  to  have  added 
or  to  have  drawn  from  some  later  source  (cf.  Balaam  oracles,  § 98),  they  made  the  references 
to  contemporary  history  very  explicit.  Thus  in40  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  author  had  in  mind 
the  conquest  of  the  Edomites  by  David  and  their  later  successful  revolt  in  the  days  of  Joram  of 
Judah  (2  Kgs.,  about  840  b.c.).  Vs.  40c  is  prose,  not  poetry;  evidently  a later  addition  to  the 
original  oracle.  From  such  definite  historical  allusions  as  these  it  is  possible  to  determine  the 
approximate  date  of  the  narratives  which  embody  them. 

26s4'  35  are  disconnected  with  their  context  and  constitute  the  natural  introduction  to  the 
late  priestly  account  of  Jacob’s  departure  to  Aram,  2746“289.  Later  tradition  under  the  influence 
of  higher  ethical  standards  and  the  inevitable  idealizing  tendency  makes  it  an  act  of  filial  piety; 
while  the  much  wronged  Esau  of  the  older  narratives  figures  in  a more  unfavorable  role.  The 
transformation  in  both  cases  has  been  complete. 

1 27Sb  Gk.,  for  his  father. 


101 


Third 
scene : 
Isaac 
and 
Jacob 


Gen.  271SJ  JACOB’S  BLESSING  BY  HIS  FATHER  [Gen.  278 


Early  Judean 
garments  of  Esau  her 
elder  son,  which  she 
had  with  her  in  the 
house,  and  put  them 
upon  Jacob,  her 
younger  son,  and  he 
went  to  his  father 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Priestly  Narratives 
obey  my  counsel  as  I en- 
join you.  9Go  now  to 
the  flock,  and  bring  me 
thence  two  kids  of  the 
goats,  and  I will  make  of 
them  savory  food  for  your 
father  such  as  he  loves. 

10Then  you  shall  bring  it 
to  your  father,  that  he  may  eat,  so  that  he  may  bless  you  before  his 
death.  "And  Jacob  said  to  Rebekah  his  mother,  Behold,  Esau 
my  brother  is  hairy,  whereas  I am  smooth.  , 12Perhaps  my  father 
will  feel  of  me  and  I shall  be  in  his  sight  as  one  who  mocksK  and  I 
shall  bring  a curse  upon  me  and  not  a blessing.  13But  his  mother 
said  to  him.  Upon  me  be  your  curse,  my  son;  only  obey  my  voice, 
and  go,  bring  them  to  me.  14So  he  went,  and  took  and  brought 
them  to  his  mother,  and  his  mother  made  savory  food,  such  as  his 
father  loved.  1GThen  she  put  the  skins  of  the  kids  of  the  goats 
upon  his  hands,  and  upon  the  smooth  of  his  neck,  17and  she  gave 
the  savory  food  and  the  bread,  which  she  had  prepared,  into  the 
hand  of  her  son  Jacob. 


And  Isaac  said,  18bWho 
are  you,  my  son?  19 And 
Jacob  said  to  his  father,  I 
am  Esau  your  first-born.  I 
have  done  according  as  you 
commanded  me.  Arise,  I 
pray  you,  and  sit  and  eat  of 
my  game,  that  you  your- 
self may  bless  me.  20 And 
Isaac  said  to  his  son,  How 
is  it  that  you  have  found  it 
so  quickly,  my  son  ? And 
he  said.  Because  Jehovah 
your  God  gave  me  success. 
24And  he  said,  Are  you 
really  my  son  Esau  ? And 
he  said,  I am.  25Then  he 
said,  Bring  it  to  me,  that  I 
may  eat  of  my  son’s  game, 
in  order  that  I myselfh  may 
bless  you.  So  he  brought 


18aAnd  he  came  to 
his  father  and  said,  My 
father,  and  he  said, 
Here  am  I.  21  And  Isaac 
said  to  Jacob,  Come 
near  I pray  you,  that  I 
may  feel  you,  my  son: 
whether  you  are  really 
my  son  Esau  or  not. 
22Then  Jacob  went  near 
to  Isaac  his  father,  and 
he  felt  him,  and  said, 
The  voice  is  Jacob’s 
voice,  but  the  hands  are 
the  hands  of  Esau. 
23A nd  he  did  not 
recognize  him  be- 
cause his  hands  were 
hairy,  like  those  of 
his  brother  Esau.  So 
he  blessed  him  saying, 


28  'Then  Isaac 
called  Jacob  and  Blessing 
blessed  him,  and  byisaac 
charged  him,  and 
said  to  him,  You  shall 
not  take  a wife  of  the 
daughters  of  Canaan. 

2 Arise,  go  to  Paddan- 
aram,  to  the  house  of 
Bethuel  your  moth- 
er’s father;  and  take 
for  yourself  a wife 
from  thence  of  the 
daughters  of  Laban, 
your  mother’s  broth- 
er. 3 And  may  God 
Almighty  bless  you, 
and  make  you  fruit- 
ful and  numerous, 
that  you  may  become 
a company  of  peo- 


* 2712  So  also  the  Gk.  Heb.  seems  to  mean  not  merely  a deceiver,  as  Am.  RV,  but  one  who 
incurred  God’s  displeasure  by  impiously  devoting  to  himself  the  blessing  which  belonged  by 
right  of  birth  to  the  first-born;  therefore  one  who  defied  the  divine  dispensation. 

h 274’  20  Heb.,  my  soul  may  bless.  So  19> 32.  The  word  translated  soul  is  often  used  in  Heb. 
as  a designation  of  the  individual,  and  cannot  be  exactly  reproduced  in  English.  It  is  prac- 
tically equivalent  to  an  emphatic  personal  pronoun. 

105 


THE  JACOB  STORIES 


Fourth 

scene: 

Isaac 

and 

Esau 


Gen.  2725] 


[Gen.  283 


Early  Judean 

it  to  him,  and  he  ate.  He 
also  brought  him  wine  and 
he  drank.  26 And  his  father 
Isaac  said  to  him,  Come 
near  now  and  kiss  me,  my 
son.  27 And  as  he  came 
near  and  kissed  him,  he 
smelled  the  smell  of  his 
garment,  and  blessed  him 
and  said, 

See,  the  smell  of  my  son 
Is  as  the  smell  of  a field  which 
Jehovah  hath  blessed. 

29a,  cLe|.  peoples  serve  thee. 
And  races  bow  down  to  thee. 

Cursed  be  every  one  that 
curseth  thee, 

And  blessed  be  every  one 
that  blesseth  thee. 

30a,  c\n(j  ^ came  to  pass, 
as  soon  as  Isaac  had  made 
an  end  of  blessing  Jacob, 
that  Esau  his  brother  came 
in  from  his  hunting,  31band 
said  to  his  father.  Let  my 
father  arise,  and  eat  of  his 
son’s  venison,  that  you  your- 
self may  bless  me.  32 And 
Isaac  his  father  said  to  him, 
Who  are  you  ? And  he  said, 
I am  your  son,  your  first- 
born, Esau.  33 And  Isaac 
trembled  violently,  and  said. 
Who  then  is  he  that  hunted 
game  and  brought  it  to  me, 
so  that  I ate  plentifully1 
before  you  came  ? Verily,  I 
have  blessed  him,  and  he 
shall  remain  blessed. 
34When  Esau  heard  the 
words  of  his  father,  he  cried 
with  a very  loud  and  bitter 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

28May  God  give  thee  of 
the  dew  of  heaven. 

And  of  the  fatness  of  the 
earth, 

And  abundance  of  grain 
and  new  wine. 

29bBe  the  master  over  thy 
brethren. 

And  may  thy  mother’s 
sons  bow  down  to  thee. 


Priestly  Narratives 

pies,  4and  may  he 
give  the  blessing  of 
Abraham  to  you  and 
to  your  descendants 
with  you  that  you 
may  inherit  the  land 
of  your  sojournings, 
which  God  gave  to 
Abraham. 


„ 30bNow  Jacob  had  just  gone  out  from 
the  presence  of  Isaac  his  father,  when  Esau 
came.  31aAnd  he  also  had  made  savory 
food,  and  was  bringing  it  to  his  father. 
35But  [Isaac]  said,  Your  brother  came  with 
deceit,  and  has  taken  away  your  blessing. 
36And  he  said,  Is  he  not  rightly j named 
Jacob  ? for  he  has  supplantedk  me  these 
two  times:  my  birthright  he  took;  and  just 
now  he  has  taken  my  blessing.  Then  he 
said,  Have  you  reserved  a blessing  for  me  ? 
37 And  Isaac  answered  and  said  to  Esau, 
Behold,  I have  made  him  your  master  and 
all  his  kindred  have  I given  to  him  for  ser- 
vants, and  with  grain  and  new  wine  have 
I furnished  him  the  means  of  support; 
therefore  what  can  I do  for  you,  my  son  ? 
38 And  Esau  said  to  his  father,  Is  that 
your  only  blessing,* 1  my  father  ? Bless  me, 
even  me  also,  O my  father.  And  Esau 
lifted  up  his  voice  and  wept.  39Then 
j Isaac  his  father  answered  and  said  to 
I him, 


■ 27s3  Heb.,  of  all;  but  a slight  emendation  of  text  gives  the  above  consistent  rendering, 
i 2736  Gk.,  Lat..,  and  Syr.  add  this  word,  which  is  demanded  by  the  context. 

* 27^  Supplant  from  the  same  root  as  Jacob ; clearly  a paranomasia. 

l 27s8  Or,.  Is  there  not  one  blessing  left  to  thee.  So  Gk. 

106 


[Gen.  2739 


Gen.  2734]  JACOB’S  DEPARTURE  TO  ARAM 


Early  Judean 

cry,  and  said  to  his  father, 
Bless  me,  even  me  also,  O 
my  father. 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Behold,  far  from  the  fatness  of  the  earth 
shall  be  thy  dwelling. 

And  from  the  dew  of  heaven  from  above  ; 
40 And  by  thy  sword  must  thou  live, 

And  thy  brother  shalt  thou  serve. 


41bThen  Esau  said  to 
himself,  The  days  of 
mourning  for  my  fa- 
ther are  near,  then  will 
I slay  my  brother 
Jacob.  42But  when 
the  words  of  Esau  her 
elder  son  were  told  to 
Rebekah,  she  sent  and 
called  Jacob  her 
younger  son,  and  said 
to  him,  Behold  your 
brother  Esau  will 
avenge  himself11  upon 
you  by  killing  you. 
43bFlee  to  Laban  my 
brother  at  H a r a n , 
45auntil  your  brother’s 
anger  turn  away  from 
you. 


(But  it  will  be,  when  thou  shalt  break 
loosem,  that  thou  shalt  tear  his  yoke  from 
off  thy  neck.) 


41aThen  Esau  hated 
Jacob  because  of  the 
blessing  with  which  his 
father  had  blessed  him; 
and  Rebekah  knew  it, 
and  43a’ctold  Jacob  and 
said.  Now,  therefore, 
my  son,  obey  my  voice 
and  arise,  flee  to  Laban 
^and  remain  with  him 
a short  time  until  your 
brother’s  wrath  turn 
away  from  you  45band 
he  forget  what  you  have 
done  to  him.  Then  I 
will  send  and  bring  you 
thence;  why  should  I 
be  bereaved  of  you  both 
in  one  day  ? 


Late  Priestly 

5So  Isaac  sent  away  Jacob’s 
Jacob,  and  he  went  to  Pad-  ure  for 
dan-aram  to  Laban,  the  Aram 
son  of  Bethuel  the  Syrian, 
the  brother  of  Rebekah, 
the  mother  of  Jacob  and 
Esau.  6Now  when  Esau 
saw  that  Isaac  had  blessed 
Jacob  and  sent  him  away 
to  Paddan-aram,  to  take 
him  a wife  from  thence, 
and  that,  as  he  blessed 
him  ,he  gave  him  a charge, 
saying,  You  shall  not  take 
a wife  of  the  daughters  of 
Canaan,  7and  that  Jacob 
had  obeyed  his  father  and 
his  mother,  and  had  gone 
to  Paddan-aram,  8and 


when  Esau  also  saw  that 
the  daughters  of  Canaan  did  not  please  Isaac 
his  father,  9then  Esau  went  to  Ishmael,  and 
took,  besides  the  wives  that  he  had,  Maha- 
lath  the  daughter  of  Ishmael,  Abraham’s  son, 
the  sister  of  Nebaioth,  to  be  his  wife. 


§ 31.  The  Revelation  to  Jacob  at  Bethel — The  Divine  Protection  and 
Guidance  of  the  Israelitish  Race,  Gen.  2810~22 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

jeho-  Gen.  28  10Now  when  Jacob  set  out  from 
promise  Beersheba,  he  went  toward  Haran.  And, 
andh£b  13behold,  Jehovah  stood  beside  him  and  said, 


descend- 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 
Narratives 

28  11  Now  when  Jacob  ar-  Jacob’s 
rived  at  a certain  place,  he  vision*17 


m 2740  The  Heb.  word  is  rare  and  its  meaning  doubtful.  Other  renderings,  strivest,  shalt 
wish,  and  Syr.,  repentest.  The  original  may  have  read,  when  thou  becomest  strong. 

“ 27®  Heb.,  procure  satisfaction  for  himself. 

§ 31  This  is  the  sequel  of  the  duplicate  narrative  of  Jacob’s  departure  for  Aram.  The 
different  designations  of  the  Deity  and  other  characteristic  marks  of  the  two  prophetic  strands 


107 


Origin 
of  tne 
name 
Bethel 


Gen.  2810] 


THE  JACOB  STORIES 


[Gen.  28u 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

I am  Jehovah  the  God  of  Abraham  thy 
father  and  the  God  of  Isaac.  The  land  upon 
which  thou  art  lying — to  thee  will  I give  it 
and  to  thy  descendants.  14And  thine  offspring 
shall  be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth  and  thou 
shalt  spread  abroad  to  the  west,  and  to  the 
east,  and  to  the  north,  and  to  the  south,  and 
a blessing  like  thine  and  that  of  thy  descend- 
ants shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  invoke 
for  themselves.  15And,  behold,  I am  with 
thee,  and  will  keep  thee  wherever  thou  goest, 
and  will  bring  thee  again  to  this  habitable 
land;  for  I will  not  leave  thee  until  I have 
done  that  which  I have  promised  thee. 


16And  when  Jacob  awoke 
from  his  sleep,  he  said, 
Surely  Jehovah  is  in  this 
place,  although  I did  not 
know  it.  19Therefore  he 
called  the  name  of  that 
place  Bethel  [House of  God], 
although  the  earlier  name 
of  the  city  was  Luz.° 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 
N arratives 

passed  the  night  there,  be- 
cause the  sun  had  set.  And 
he  took  one  of  the  stones 
which  were  there,  and  put 
it  under  his  head,  and  lay 
down  in  that  place  to  sleep. 
12Then  he  dreamed  and  saw 
a ladder  set  up  on  the  earth 
with  its  top  reaching  to  heav- 
en, and,  behold,  the  Mes- 
sengers of  God  were  ascend- 
ing and  descending  on  it. 
17  And  he  was  tilled  with  awe 
and  said,  How  awful  is  this 
place : this  is  none  other  than 
the  house  of  God  and  this  is 


the  gate  of  heaven. 

18So  Jacob  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  Originoi 
took  the  stone  that  he  had  put  under  his  head,  tuaryat 
and  set  it  up  for  a pillar,  and  poured  oil  upon  e 1 
the  top  of  it.  20 And  Jacob  made  a vow  saying, 

If  God  be  with  me  and  take  care  of  me  in  this 
journey  which  I am  making,  and  give  me  bread 
to  eat  and  clothing  to  put  on,  21  and  I return 
safe  and  sound  to  my  father’s  house,  then  shall 
Jehovah.p  be  my  God  22and  this  stone  which  I 
have  set  up  for  a pillar,  shall  be  a house  of  God, 
and  of  all  which  thou  givest  me  I will  surely  give  a 
tenth  to  thee.i 


render  it  easy  to  distinguish  the  originals.  As  usually,  the  revelation  in  the  Ephraimite 
narrative  comes  through  a dream.  As  in  Hos.  124,  the  late  priestly  narratives  place  this 
revelation,  after  the  wrestling  of  Penuel  and  on  Jacob’s  return  from  Aram,  359-13.  Their  com- 
bined testimony  is  significant.  On  ethical  grounds  also  this  setting  would  be  more  fitting,  for, 
to  the  J acob  who  has  paid  the  penalty  of  his  sins  and  learned  his  lesson  in  the  trying  school  of 
experience,  the  divine  blessing  is  more  appropriate. 

The  tradition  is  clearly  very  old  and  was  treasured  by  the  early  Hebrews  because  it  repre- 
sented their  conception  of  the  origin  of  the  sanctuary  at  Bethel.  Certainly  in  the  days  of  the 
judges  (Judg.  2018'  26f)  and  probably  before  the  Hebrews  entered  Canaan  it  was  regarded  as  a 
sacred  place.  Jeroboam  I (c.  940  b.c.)  made  it  a royal  shrine  (I  Kgs.  1228  ft ) . Not  until  the 
eighth  century  B.c.  did  the  prophets  begin  to  combat  the  half-heathen  rites  and  traditions 
which  gathered  about  this  ancient  sanctuary.  Cf.  Am.  44,  Hos.  105. 

o 2819b  Possibly  an  editorial  note.  The  same  statement  is  found  in  Judg.  I231",  § 115. 
p 2821  Apparently  added  by  the  editor,  who  combined  the  two  narratives  and  had  in  mind 
the  Judean  name  of  the  Deity. 

q 2822b  The  sudden  transition  from  the  third  person  to  the  direct  address  suggests  that  this 
verse,  which  emphasizes  the  ceremonial  rather  than  the  prophetic  aspect  of  religion,  is  from  a 
later  hand. 


108 


JACOB’S  MEETING  WITH  RACHEL  [Gen.  291 

§ 32.  Jacob’s  Arrival  in  Aram  and  Meeting  with  Rachel — Early  Relations 
between  the  Israelites  and  Arameans,  Gen.  291-14 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  29  1Then  Jacob  continued  on  his  journey,  and  came  to  the  land  of  scene  at 
the  children  of  the  east.  2 And  he  looked,  and  saw  a well  in  the  field,  and  S Haran 
there  were  three  flocks  of  sheep  lying  down  by  it;  for  out  of  that  well  they 
watered  the  flocks;  but  the  stone  upon  the  mouth  of  the  well  was  large. 

3 And  when  all  the  flocks  were  gathered  here,  they  used  to  roll  the  stone  from 
the  mouth  of  the  well  and  water  the  sheep,  and  then  put  the  stone  again  in 
its  place  upon  the  mouth  of  the  well. 

4And  Jacob  said  to  them,  My  friends1-,  whence  are  you  ? And  they  said,  Jacob’s 
We  are  from  Haran.  5Then  he  said  to  them,  Do  you  know  Laban  the  son  sation 
of  Nahor  ? And  they  said,  We  know  him.  6And  he  said  to  them,  Is  it  well  8hep-the 
with  him  ? And  they  said,  It  is  well;  indeed,  see  Rachel  his  daughter  coming  herda 
there  with  the  sheep.  7And  he  said,  Behold,  the  sun  is  still  high!8  it  is  not 
time  for  the  cattle  to  be  gathered  together.  Water  the  sheep  and  let  them 
go  to  feed.  8But  they  said,  We  can  not  until  the  flocks  are  gathered  together, 
and  they  roll  the  stone  from  the  well’s  mouth,  then  we  water  the  sheep. 

9 While  he  was  yet  speaking  with  them,  Rachel  came  with  her  father’s  sheep;  Meetin| 
for  she  was  a shepherdess.  10Now  when  Jacob  saw  Rachel  the  daughter  and 
of  Laban,  his  mother’s  brother,  he  went  near  and  rolled  the  stone  from  the  dc 
mouth  of  the  well,  and  watered  the  flock  of  Laban,  his  mother’s  brother. 
nThen  Jacob  kissed  Rachel  and  wept  loudly.  12And  when  Jacob  told  Rachel 
that  he  was  a kinsman  of  her  father,  and  that  he  was  Rebekah’s  son,  she 
ran  and  told  her  father. 

13But  as  soon  as  Laban  heard  the  tidings  regarding  Jacob,  his  sister’s  son,  Jacob’s 
he  ran  to  meet  him,  and  embraced  and  kissed  him,  and  brought  him  to  the  tionat 
house.  "Then  he  recounted  to  Laban  all  these  things.  14 And  Laban  said  to  house 
him.  Surely  you  are  of  my  bone  and  of  my  flesh.  So  he  remained  with  him 
about  a month. 

§ 33.  Jacob’s  Marriage  with  Leah  and  Rachel — Early  Alliances  between  the 
Israelites  and  Arameans,  Gen.  2915-30 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  29  's '.Dsen  Laban  said  to  Jacob,  Because  you  are  my  kinsman  should 
you  therefore  serve  me  for  nothing?  Tell  me  what  shall  be  your  wages? 

§ 32  The  designation  of  the  land  to  which  Jacob  fled  in  the  Judean  narratives  is  Haran,  and 
in  the  priestly  Paddan-aram , 285' 10 , so  that  the  term  land  of  the  children  of  the  east  is  perhaps 
peculiar  to  the  Ephraimite.  If  so,  29*  is  from  that  source,  and  connects  the  story  of  the 
revelation  at  Bethel,  § 31,  with  that  of  the  marriage  with  Leah  and  Rachel,  § 33.  Vss.  2~14.  which 
contain  the  exquisite  picture  of  Jacob’s  meeting  with  Rachel,  are  taken  from  the  Judean 
narratives. 

r 294  Lit.,  brothers.  Lot  uses  the  same  conciliatory  term  in  his  address  to  the  lawless  in- 
habitants of  Sodom,  196,  § 20. 

“ 297  Heb.,  The  day  is  still  great. 

§ 33  Extracts  from  the  late  priestly  narratives  are  found  in  24  and  28b’  29  and  from  the  early 
Ju  dean  in  M,  as  is  shown  by  the  occurrence  of  Heb.  synonyms  peculiar  to  each,  but  otherwise 
the  story  as  a whole  is  apparently  from  the  Ephraimite  source.  This  narrative  was  originally 
distinct  from  the  preceding,  for  Rachel  is  again  introduced,  as  if  for  the  first  time.  Vs.  16  also 

109 


Agree- 
ment to 
serve 
Laban 
for 

Rachel 


Laban’s 

decep- 

tion 


Birth  of 
Leah’s 
chil- 
dren: 
Reuben 


Gen.2916]  THE  JACOB  STORIES 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

16Now  Laban  had  two  daughters:  the  name  of  the  elder  was  Leah,  and  the 
name  of  the  younger  was  Rachel.  17 And  Leah  had  weak  eyes,  but  Rachel 
was  beautiful  in  form  and  feature.  18Therefore  Jacob  loved  Rachel  and  he 
said,  I will  serve  you  seven  years  for  Rachel  your  younger  daughter.  19 And 
Laban  said,  It  is  better  for  me  to  give  her  to  you  than  that  I should  give  her 
to  another  man.  Stay  with  me.  20So  Jacob  served  seven  years  for  Rachel, 
and  they  seemed  to  him  but  a few  days,  because  he  loved  her. 

21Then  Jacob  said  to  Laban,  Give  me  my  wife,  for  my  days  are  completed 
and  let  me  go  in  unto  her.  22 Accordingly  Laban  gathered  together  all  the 
men  of  the  place  and  made  a feast.  23 And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  evening 
that  he  took  Leah  his  daughter  and  brought  her  to  him,  and  Jacob1  went  in 
unto  her.  24Aud  Laban  gave  Zilpah  his  maid-servant  to  his  daughter  Leah  for  a maid. 
25 When  in  the  morning  he  found  it  was  Leah,  he  said  to  Laban,  What  is 
this  you  have  done  to  me  ? did  I not  serve  you  for  Rachel  ? Why  then 
have  you  deceived  me  ? 26 And  Laban  said,  It  is  not  customaryu  among  us 
to  give  the  younger  in  marriage  before  the  elder.  27Remain  with  this  one 
during  the  marriage  week,  then  we  will  give  to  you  the  other  also  for  the 
service  which  you  shall  render  me  for  seven  more  years.  28Therefore  Jacob 
did  so:  he  remained  with  Leah  during  the  marriage  week.  Then  [Laban] 
gave  him  Rachel  his  daughter  as  wife,  29Laban  also  gave  to  Rachel  his  daughter  Bilhah 
his  maid-servant  to  be  her  maid.  30Then  he  went  in  to  Rachel,  but  he  loved 
Rachel  more  than  Leah.  Thus  he  had  to  serve  him  seven  years  more. 


§ 34.  Jacob’s  Children — Origin  and  Relationships  of  the  Different  Israelitish 
Tribes,  Gen.  2 931-35;  301-24,  3522t>-26,  372a 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  29  31When  Jehovah  saw  that  Leah  was 
hated,  he  opened  her  womb;  Rachel,  however, 
was  barren.  32 Accordingly  Leah  conceived  and 
bore  a son  whom  she  named  Reuben  [Behold  a 
son];  for  she  said,  Jehovah  hath  beheld  my  afflic- 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

35  22bNow  the  sons 
of  Jacob  were  twelve. 
23The  sons  of  Leah: 
Reuben,  Jacob’s  first- 


seems  to  imply  that  Jacob  has  already  entered  Laban’s  service,  although  there  is  no  previous 
statement  of  the  fact.  The  story  explains  why  Israel’s  forefather  had  more  than  one  wife,  and 
incidentally  portrays  the  leading  characteristics  of  Laban,  who  figures  as  a representative 
Aramean,  regarded  from  the  Hebrew  point  of  view. 

t 2923  g0  Gk.  Heb.  has  simply  he. 

u 2926  So  Gk.  and  Lat.  Heb.,  It  is  not  so  done  in  our  •place. 

§ 34  Extracts  from  the  two  prophetic  narratives  are  here  combined  as  is  shown  by  the 
occurrence  of  Jehovah,  29?1-35,  3024,  and  God,  30'-8,  I7-23.  and  by  the  use  of  the  different  Hebrew 
synonyms  for  maid-servant.  The  Leah  stories  are  from  the  Judean  narratives,  for  she  was  the 
traditional  ancestress  of  Judah,  while  the  Rachel  traditions  are  appropriately  drawn  from  the 
Ephraimite.  _ Most  scholars  also  find  traces  of  the  late  priestly  version  in  304a'  9t>,  22a,  although 
the  evidence  is  not  conclusive.  The  priestly  parallel  is  found  in  the  subsequent  context,  but 
is  quite  independent  of  its  setting.  The  prophetic  stories  present  the  popular  derivation  and 
traditional  origin  of  the  names  of  the  different  tribes,  as  well  as  the  nature  of  their  relationship 
to  each  other.  Tribes  descended  from  the  same  mother  and  father  are  thus  represented  as 
being  most  closely  related;  while  the  ancient  hostility  between  the  northern  tribes,  led  by 
Ephraim  and  Manasseh,  and  the  Judeans  is  traced  back  to  the  rivalry  between  Rachel  and 
Leah.  The  looser  relationships  of  distant,  outlying  tribes,  like  Asher,  Dan,  Gad  and  Naphtali, 
is  explained  on  the  basis  that  they  were  descended  from  slave  mothers.  It  is  probably  in  this 
way  that  later  popular  tradition  recorded  the  fact  that  these  tribes  originally  included  a large 
Canaanitish  element. 


Children 
bom  in 
Aram 


110 


Gen.  2932] 


JACOB’S  CHILDREN 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Simeon  tion;  now  my  husband  will  love  me.  33 And  she 
conceived  again  and  bore  a son;  and  said,  Because 
Jehovah  hath  heard  that  I am  hated,  he  hath 
therefore  given  me  this  one  also;  hence  she 
called  his  name  Simeonv  [Hearing],  34 And  she 
conceived  again  and  bore  a son,  and  said.  Now 
this  time  will  my  husband  become  attached  to  me, 
because  I have  borne  him  three  sons:  therefore 
his  name  was  called  Levi  [Attached].  35 And  she 
conceived  again,  and  bore  a son,  and  said,  this 
time  will  I praise  Jehovah;  therefore  she  called 
his  name  Judah  [Praise];  then  she  ceased  to  bear 
children. 

30  9When  Leah  saw  that  she  had  ceased  to  bear 
children,  she  took  Zilpah  her  maid-servant  and 
gave  her  to  Jacob  as  a wife.  10 And  Zilpah  Leah’s 
maid-servant  bore  Jacob  a son.  11  And  Leah  said, 
Fortunate  am  I!  therefore  she  called  his  name  Gad 
Zilpah  Leah’s  maid-servant  bore  Jacob  a second  son 
Happy  am  I!  for  women  are  sure  to  call  me  happy; 
his  name  Asher  [Happy]. 


Levi 


Judah 


By  £il- 

pah: 

Gad 


Asher 


[Gen.  3o23 

Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

born,  Simeon,  Levi, 
Judah,  Issachar,  and 
Zebulun;  24the  sons  of 
Rachel:  Joseph  and 
Benjamin;  25and  the 
sons  of  Bilhah,  Ra- 
chel’s maid:  Dan  and 
Naphtali;  26and  the 
sons  of  Zilpah  Leah’s 
maid:  Gad  and  Asher. 
37  2aThese  are  the  sons 
of  Jacob,  that  were 
born  to  him  in  Paddan- 
aram.  These  are  the 
generations  of  Jacob. 


w [Fortune].  12And 
13And  Leah  said, 
therefore  she  called 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

30  4And  when  Rachel  saw  that  she  bore  Jacob  no  children,  Rachel  was 
jealous  of  her  sister,  and  said  to  Jacob,  Give  me  children  or  else  I die.  2But 
Jacob’s  anger  was  aroused  against  Rachel,  and  he  said,  Am  I in  God’s  stead  ? 
Who  hath  withheld  offspring  from  thee  ? 3And  she  said,  Here  is  my  maid 
Bilhah,  go  in  unto  her,  that  she  may  bear  upon  my  knees  and  I also  may 
obtain  children  by  herx.  4And  so  she  gave  him  Bilhah  her  maid  for  a wife, 
and  Jacob  went  in  unto  her.  5And  when  Bilhah  conceived  and  bore  Jacob 
a son,  6Rachel  said,  God  hath  judged  me  and  hath  also  heard  my  voice  and 
hath  given  me  a son.  Therefore  she  called  his  name  Dan  [He  judged], 
7And  Bilhah  Rachel’s  maid  conceived  again,  and  bore  Jacob  a second  son. 
8And  Rachel  said,  With  superhuman  wrestlings5’  have  I wrestled  with  my 
sister,  and  have  prevailed;  therefore  she  called  his  name  Naphtali  [Obtained 
by  wrestling], 

14And  Reuben  went  in  the  days  of  the  wheat  harvest,  and  found  love  apples2 
in  the  field  and  brought  them  to  his  mother  Leah.  Then  Rachel  said  to  Leah, 
Pray  give  me  some  of  your  son’s  love  apples.  15But  she  said  to  her,  Is  it  a 


v 29s3  Original  meaning  doubtful,  probably  bastard  of  the  wolf  and  hyena.  Its  sound  sug- 
gested to  the  Hebrew  writer  that  it  was  derived  from  the  root  to  hear  (shama). 

w 3011  Heb.,  In  luck,  or  By  good  fortune.  The  word  translated  luck  is  the  name  of  the 
Aramean-Phoenician  god  of  luck  or  fortune.  Marginal  reading  and  Syr.,  Luck  comes. 
x 303  Heb.,  he  built  up  through  her. 

J 3Q8  Heb.,  With  wrestlings  of  God,  i.  e.,  God-like,  superhuman  wrestlings.  Syr.,  I have 
sought  from  the  Lord  and  I have  wrestled  with  my  sister  and  I have  found. 

% 3014  Mandrakes  ( Mandragora  vernalis). 


Rachel's 
children 
by  Bil- 
hah: 
Dan 


Naphtali 


in 


Incident 
of  the 
love  ap- 
ples and 
birth  of 
Leah’s 
son, 

Issachar 


Zebulun 


Birth  of 
Rachel’s 
eon,  Jo- 
seph 


The  new 
contract 


Gen.  3015]  THE  JACOB  STORIES 

Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

small  matter  that  you  have  taken  away  my  husband3,  that  you  would  also 
take  away  my  son’s  love  apples  ? And  Rachel  said,  Therefore  he  shall  lie 
with  you  to-night  for  your  son’s  love  apples.  16So  when  Jacob  came  from 
the  field  in  the  evening,  Leah  went  out  to  meet  him,  and  said,  You  must 
come  in  unto  me,  for  I have  hired  you  with  my  son’s  love  apples.  And  he 
lay  with  her  that  night.  17And  God  heard  Leah,  and  she  conceived  and  bore 
Jacob  a fifth  son.  18Then  Leah  said,  God  hath  given  me  my  hire,  because 
I gave  my  maid  to  my  husband;  therefore  she  called  his  name  Issachar 
[There  is  a hire].  19And  Leah  conceived  again,  and  bore  a sixth  son  to 
Jacob.  20 And  Leah  said,  God  hath  endowed  me  with  a good  dowry;  now 
will  my  husband  dwell  with  me,  because  I have  borne  him  six  sons:  and  she 
called  his  name  Zebulun  [Dwelling].  21  And  afterwards  she  bore  a daughter 
and  called  her  name  Dinah. 

22 And,  God  remembered  Rachel,  and  God  hearkened  to  her,  and  opened 
her  womb.  23So  she  conceived  and  bore  a son  and  said,  God  hath  taken 
away  my  reproach.  24 And  she  called  his  name  Joseph*5  [He  will  add],  saying, 
Jehovah  will  add  to  me  another  son. 


§ 35.  Jacob’s  Prosperity — Increase  of  the  Israelites  in  Numbers  and  Influence, 

Gen.  3025-43 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  30  25Now  when  Rachel  had  borne  Joseph, 
Jacob  said  to  Laban,  Send  me  away,  that  I may  go 
to  my  own  place,  and  to  my  country.  27But  Laban 
said  to  him,  If  now  I have  found  favor  in  your  eyes 
- — I have  divined0  that  Jehovah  hath  blessed  me 
for  your  sake.  29 And  [Jacob]  answered  him,  You 
know  how  I have  served  you  and  what  your  cattle 
have  become  under  my  charge;  30for  it  was  little 
which  you  had  before  I came,  but  now  it  has 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 

30  Jacob  said  to  La- 
ban, 26Give  me  my 
wives  and  my  children 
for  whom  I have  served 
you,  that  I may  go;  for 
you  know  the  sendee 
which  I have  rendered 
you.  28 And  he  said, 


ft  3015  Gk.,  Is  it  not  enough  for  you  to  take  my  husband  that , etc. 

b 30'-*  24  Two  distinct  popular  derivations  of  the  name  Joseph  are  given  in  these  verses.  In  23 
it  is  from  the  Heb.  word  gather  or  takeaway , while  in  24,  which  probably  represents  the  Judean 
parallel,  it  is  from  the  very  similar  Heb.  root,  meaning  to  add.  The  occurrence  of  the  name 
on  the  early  Egyptian  monuments  indicates  that  its  real  origin,  like  that  of  most  of  the  names 
in  this  section,  antedates  the  Heb.  period. 

§ 35  The  Judean  version  has  evidently  been  made  the  basis  of  this  story  and  has  been  sup- 
plemented by  extracts  from  the  Ephraimite  to  which  reference  is  made  in  317_g.  The  apparent 
confusion  in  this  passage  arises  largely  from  duplication  of  material  and  from  the  differences 
in  representation  in  the  two  versions  of  the  story.  Of.  25  and  26a,  2611  and  29»,  28  and  31 . In  32 s-  ° 
Jacob  simply  asks  that  he  may  separate  the  black  sheep  and  the  speckled  and  spotted  goats 
from  the  flock  as  his  wages;  but  in  35 • 36  it  is  LabaD  who  separates  them  and  drives  them  three 
days'  journey  away  into  the  desert.  Also  40b  has  apparently  been  removed  from  its  original 
context,  for  it  states  that  Jacob  separated  the  lambs  and  divided  his  flock  from  that  of  Laban, 
although  in  35 • 36  Laban  has  already  done  this.  These  variations  and  linguistic  indications 
suggest  a division  which  solves  most  of  the  difficulties,  although  no  analysis  is  entirely  satis- 
factory. The  early  Judean  version  represents  Jacob  as  outwitting  by  his  own  methods  the 
crafty  Laban.  The  Ephraimite  conceives  of  Jacob  as  the  victim  of  Laban's  injustice  and  as 
being  delivered  by  God's  special  intervention.  Cf.  Introd.,  p.  39.  The  parts  of  the  latter 
story,  which  have  been  omitted  by  the  editor  in  combining  the  two  versions,  are  implied  and 
may  in  part  be  supplied  from  the  subsequent  narratives. 

0 3027  Heb.,  I have  observed  the  omens.  The  sentence  is  incomplete,  as  is  not  infrequently 
the  case  in  dialogues. 


112 


Gen.  3030]  JACOB’S  PROSPERITY 

Early  Judean  Prophetic 

greatly  increased,  since  Jehovah  hath  blessed  you 
wherever  I went/1  But  now,  when  am  I to  provide 
for  my  own  house  as  well  ? 31aThen  he  said,  What 
shall  I give  you  ? And  Jacob  said.  You  shall  not 
give  me  anything.  If  you  will  do  this  thing  for  me, 

I will  again  feed  your  flock:  32bremovee  from  it 
every  speckled  and  spotted  one;  then  whatever  is 
born  to  the  flock  henceforth  speckled  or  spotted 
shall  be  mine.  34And  Laban  said,  Good,  let  it  be 
as  you  say.  35So  he  removed  that  day  the  he- 
goats  that  were  striped  and  spotted,  and  all  the 
she-goats  that  were  striped  and  spotted,  every  one 
that  had  white  on  it,  and  all  the  black  ones  among  the 
lambs,  and  gave  them  into  the  hands  of  his  sons. 
36Thenheput  the  distance  of  a three  days’  journey 
between  himself  and  Jacob;  and  Jacob  fed  the 
rest  of  Laban’s  flocks. 


[Gen.  3028 

Early  Ephrairnite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 

State  exactly  to  me 
your  wages,  and  I will 
pay  them,  if  you  will 
again  keep  my  flock. 
Then  Jacob  answered, 
31bI  will  again  keep  it, 
32a,  cjf  j may  gQ  through 
all  your  flock  to-day, 
and  remove  every  black 
one  among  the  lambs 
and  the  spotted  and 
speckled  among  the 
goats;  these  shall  be  my 
wages.  33So  shall  my 
uprightness  testify  for 
me  hereafter,  when  you 
come  to  inspect  my 
wages:  every  one  that  is  not  speckled  and  spotted  among  the  goats 
and  black  among  the  lambs  has  been  stolen  by  meg.  40a,cThere- 
fore  Jacob  separated  the  lambs,  even  all  the  black  in  the  flock  of 
Laban,  and  the  spotted  and  speckled  among  the  goats,  and  he  put 
his  own  droves  apart  and  did  not  put  them  near  Laban’s  flock. 


37Now  Jacob  took  fresh  rods  of  white  poplar,  and 
of  the  almond  and  of  the  plane  tree,  and  peeled 
white  streaks  in  them,  exposing  the  white  which 
was  in  the  rods.  38And  he  set  the  rods  which  he  had 
peeled  before  the  flocks  in  the  watering-troughsb 
where  the  flocks  came  to  drink  (and  they  conceived 
when  they  came  to  drink) , 39so  that  the  flocks  con- 
ceived before  the  rods.  Therefore  the  flocks 
brought  forth  striped,  speckled  and  spotted  off- 
spring. 40bAnd  he  set  the  faces  of  the  flocks  toward  the 
striped.* 1  . . . 41And  whenever  the  stronger  ani- 
mals of  the  flock  conceived,  Jacob  laid  the  rods  in 
the  troughs  before  the  eyes  of  the  flock,  that  they 
might  conceive  among  the  rods.  42But  when  the 
animals  were  weakly,  he  did  not  put  them  in. 

Therefore  the  more  weakly  were  Laban’s,  and  the  stronger  Jacob’s. 
43Thus  the  man  increased  in  wealth  exceedingly,  and  had  large  flocks, 
and  maid-servants  and  men-servants,  and  camels  and  asses. 

d 3030  Lit.,  At  my  steps.  Syr.,  On  account  of  me. 

• SO325  Gk.  translates  this  an  imperative,  and  Heb.  admits  of  the  same  interpretation. 

1 30S6b  is  apparently  a fragment  from  the  Ephrairnite  version. 

* 3033  Heb.,  1 8 stolen  with  me. 

h 3038  Given  first  in  the  Aramaic,  with  the  Heb.  equivalent,  watering  troughs,  following. 

i 3040b  Evidently  a fragment  of  a fuller  narrative. 

113 


[Cf.  317’8]  Then  all  the 
flock  of  Laban  bore  black 
lambs  and  spotted  and 
speckled  goats.  There- 
upon Laban  changed  his 
wages  and  said,  the 
striped  shall  be  your 
wages.  Then  all  the 
flock  bore  striped  off- 
spring. So  he  changed 
his  wages  ten  times,  but 
God  suffered  him  not 
to  hurt  Jacob. 


Jacob’s 

crafty 

devices 

and 

abound- 
ing pros- 
perity 


Gen.  311]  THE  JACOB  STORIES  [Gen.  312 


§ 36.  Jacob’s  Flight  from  Laban — Later  Aramean  Migrations  to  Canaan. 

Gen.  31 1-42 

Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

31  2Now  Jacob  observed  that  the  countenance  of 
Laban  was  not  toward  him  as  formerly.  4Then 
Jacob  sent  and  called  Rachel  and  Leah  to  the  field 
to  his  flock,  5and  said  to  them,  I see  that  your 
father’s  countenance  is  not  toward  me  as  formerly; 
but  the  God  of  my  father  hath  been  with  me.  6 And 
you  know  that  I have  served  your  father  with  all 
my  might.  7 Your  father,  however,  has  deceived 
me,  and  changed  my  wages  ten  times;  but  God 
has  not  allowed  him  to  do  me  harm.  8If  he 
said:  ‘The  speckled  shall  be  your  wages,’  then 
all  the  flock  bore  speckled  offspring,  but  if  he 
said:  ‘The  striped  shall  be  your  wages,’  then  all 
the  flock  bore  striped  offspring.  9Thus  God  hath  taken  away  the 
possessions  of  your  father  and  given  them  to  me.  10And  it  came  to  pass 
at  the  time  when  the  flock  conceived,  that  I lifted  up  my  eyes,  and  saw 
in  a dream,  and,  behold,  the  he-goats  which  leaped  upon  the  flock  were 
striped,  speckled,  and  piebald.  11  And  the  Messenger  of  God  said  to  me 
inadream,  ‘Jacob :’  and  I said,  ‘Here  am  I.’  12And  he  said, ‘Lift  up  now 
thine  eyes,  and  see,  all  the  he-goats  which  leap  upon  the  flock  are  striped, 
speckled,  and  piebald:  for  I have  seen  all  that  Laban  has  been  doing  to 
thee.  13I  am  the  God  of  Bethel,  where  thou  didst  anoint  a pillar,  where 
thou  didst  make  a vow  to  me.  Now  arise,  go  forth  from  this  land,  and 
return  to  the  land  of  thy  birth.’  14Then  Rachel  and  Leah  answered 
and  said  to  him,  Is  there  yet  any  portion  or  inheritance  for  us  in  our 
father’s  house  ? 15Are  we  not  considered  as  foreigners  by  him  ? for  he 
has  sold  us  and  goes  on  to  consume  the  money  paid  for  us.  16Since  all 
the  riches  which  God  hath  taken  away  from  our  father  is  ours  and  our 
children's,  do  whatever  God  hath  commanded  you  to  do. 


§ 36  The  peculiarities  and  distinct  points  of  view  of  the  two  prophetic  narratives  are  readily 
discernible  in  this  section.  In  the  Judean  Jacob  comes  out  victorious  in  his  contest  with  Laban 
because  of  his  greater  skill  at  deception,  but  in  the  Ephraimite,  God  intervenes  to  save  him. 
For  this  reason  it  seems  evident  that  the  majority  of  scholars  have  been  mistaken  in  not  assign- 
ing the  story  of  the  theft  of  Laban ’s  household  gods  in  s-40  to  the  Judean  source.  It  is  in  harmony 
with  the  more  primitive  conceptions  of  this  group  of  narratives.  The  incident  also  turns  the 
tables  in  Jacob’s  favor,  as  does  the  divine  intervention  in  the  Ephraimite  version.  Linguistic 
evidence  is  not  decisive,  but  on  the  whole  it  points  to  the  earlier  source.  Many  other  variant 
parallels  are  apparent  in  this  section,  e.  g., 1 and  2,  2311  and  2Ss,  26  and  27.  Vs. 31  breaks  the  close 
connection  between  30  and  32.  Vss.  3?-40  give  one  resume  of  Jacob’s  experience  and  41  another. 
In  § 37  also  the  two  stories  of  the  flight  are  followed  by  two  accounts  of  the  succeeding  covenant. 
Many  characteristic  indications  facilitate  the  analysis.  For  example,  the  dreams  in  4-16  reveal 
the  Ephraimite  source.  Also  cf.  13  with  2818' 20ff.  Vs.  2 is  continued  in  5;  its  Judean  parallel  is 
in  l.  Other  peculiarities,  like  Jehovah  in3,  camels  in  17,  and  Mount  Gilead  in  23  and  the  reference 
to  Laban’s  absence  in  19  clearly  define  the  bounds  of  the  earlier  prophetic  strand.  Vs.  Bb. 
on  the  other  hand,  which  is  the  duplicate  rather  than  the  natural  sequel  of  18s,  has  all  the 
linguistic  marks  of  the  late  priestly  narrative,  in  which  there  is  no  reference  to  the  deceptions 
of  Jacob. 

Whether  or  not  there  is  an  earlier  historical  basis,  it  is  clear  that  these  stories  reflect  the 
intrigues  and  hostilities  between  the  Israelites  and  Arameans,  which  began  with  the  days  of 
Solomon  and  continued  until  the  prophetic  narratives  were  written. 

114 


Early  Judean 

Reasons  Gen . 31  7Now  [Jacobi 

for  the  , , T , , 

depart-  heard  Laban  s sons  say, 

Aram  Jacob  has  taken  all  that 
was  our  father’s,  and 
from  that  which  was 
our  father’s  he  has  ac- 
quired all  these  riches. 
3 And  Jehovah  said  to 
Jacob,  Return  to  the 
land  of  thy  fathers,  and 
to  thy  kindred,  and  I 
will  be  with  thee. 


Gen.  3117]  JACOB’S  FLIGHT  FROM  LABAN  [Gen.  3120- 18b 


Early  Judean 

17Then  Jacob  arose  and 
set  his  sons  and  his  wives 
upon  the  camels,  18aand 
drove  away  all  his  cattle. 

19And  while  Laban  was 
gone  to  shear  his  sheep, 

Rachel  stole!  the  house- 
hold gods  that  were  her 
father’s.  21a’cSo  he  fled 
with  all  that  he  had; 
and  set  out  on  his  wayk 
toward  Mount  Gilead. 

23Then  Laban  took  his  tribesmen  with  him,  and 
pursued  after  him  seven  days’  journey, and  overtook 
him  in  Mount  Gilead.  25bNow  Jacob  had  pitched 
his  tent  in  the  mountain;  and  Laban  with  his  tribes- 
men encamped  in  Mount  'Gilead.  And  Laban 
said  to  Jacob,  27Why  did  you  flee  secretly,  stealing 
away  from  me  without  telling  me,  that  I might 
have  sent  you  away  with  mirth  and  with  songs, 
with  tambourine  and  with  harp.  30But  now  since 
you  are  surely  going  because  you  long  so  earnestly 
for  your  father’s  house,  why  have  you  stolen  my 
gods  ? 32And  Jacob  said  to  him* 1,  The  one  with 
whom  you  find  your  gods  shall  not  live;  in  the 
presence  of  our  kinsmen  investigate  for  yourself 
what  is  with  me  and  take  it.  Jacob,  however,  did 
not  know  that  Rachel  had  stolen  them.  33So 
Laban  went  into  Jacob’s  tent  and  into  Leah’s, 
and  into  the  tent  of  the  two  maid-servants™,  but  he  did 
not  find  them.  Then  he  went  out  of  Leah’s  tent, 
and  entered  Rachel’s.  34Now  Rachel  had  taken  the 
household-gods'  and  put  them  in  the  camel ’s  saddle 
and  was  sitting  upon  them,  so  that  when  Laban  had 
felt  all  about  the  tent,  he  did  not  find  them.  35 And 
she  said  to  her  father,  Let  not  my  lord  be  angry 
that  I cannot  rise  before  you,  for  the  manner  of 
women  is  upon  me.  And  he  searched  thoroughly, 
but  did  not  find  the  household  gods.! 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 
20So  Jacob  deceived 
Laban  the  Aramean,  in 
that  he  did  not  tell  him 
that  he  was  going  to 
flee  away.  21bAnd  he 
rose  up  and  passed 
over  the  River  [Eu- 
phrates]. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

31 18biV  oio  J acob  took  The  de- 
all  the  goods  which  he  parture 
had  acquired,  the  cattle 
which  belonged  to  him, 
which  he  had  gathered 
in  Paddan-aram,  in 
order  to  go  to  Isaac  his 
father,  to  the  land  of 
Canaan . 


22Wh  e n it  was  re-  Laban’s 
ported  to  Laban  on  the  andSpro- 
third  day  that  Jacob  test 
had  fled,  he  pursued 
after  him.  24But  God 
came  to  Laban  the 
Aramean  in  a dream  at 
night,  and  said  to  him. 

Take  heed  to  thyself 
that  thou  speak  not  to 
Jacob  either  good  or 
bad.  25aSo  when  Laban 
came  up  with  Jacob, 
26Laban  said  to  Jacob, 

What  have  you  done  in 
that  you  have  deceived 
me  and  carried  away 
my  daughters  as  cap- 
tives of  war,  28and  did 
not  allow  me  to  kiss  my 
sons  and  daughters? 

You  have  acted  fool- 
ishly. 29It  was  in  my 
power  to  do  you  harm, 
but  the  God  of  your 
father  spoke  to  me  last 
night  saying, ‘Take  care 
that  thou  speak  to  Jacob 
neither  good  nor  bad.’ 


k 3121c  Heb. , set  kis  face  toward. 

1 1332  And  Jacob  said  to  him , is  supplied  from  the  Gk. 

m 3133  Evidently  a later  editorial  addition,  for  the  context  states  that  from  Leah’s  tent 
he  went  at  once  into  Rachel’s. 

i 3110'  35  Lit.,  teraphim.  Gk.  and  Syr.,  idols.  Except  in  a few  cases,  e.  g..  Ezek.  -• 22  and 

2 Kgs.  23'24,  the  teraphim  appear  to  have  belonged,  as  here,  to  a family  instead  of  a public 

shrine.  Their  exact  character  is  unknown.  They  were  used  for  purposes  of  divination. 

115 


Jacob’s 

counter 

protest 


Solemn 
agree- 
ment 
symbol- 
ized by  j 
perma- 
nent 
monu- 
ment 


Gen.  3136]  THE  JACOB  STORIES  [Gen.  313i 


Early  Judean 

36Then  Jacob  was  angry  and  brought  a 
charge  against  Laban;  and  Jacob  went  on 
to  say  to  Laban,  What  is  my  trespass  ? what 
is  my  sin,  that  you  have  pursued  hotly  after 
me  ? 37 Although  you  have  felt  all  through 
my  things,  what  have  you  found  of  all  your 
household  possessions  ? Declare  it  here  be- 
fore my  kinsmen  and  yours,  that  they  may 
decide  which  of  us  two  is  in  the  right. 
38These  twenty  years  have  I been  with  you ; 
your  ewes  and  she-goats  have  not  cast  their 
young,  neither  did  I eat  the  rams  of  your 
flocks.  39That  which  was  tom  of  beasts  I 
did  not  bring  to  you;  I bore  the  loss  of  it 
myself;  from  my  hand  you  required  it, 
whether  stolen  by  day  or  stolen  by  night. 
40Thus  I was:  in  the  day  the  drought  con- 
sumed me,  and  by  night  the  frost,  and  my 
sleep  fled  from  my  eyes. 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

31Jacob  answered  Laban, 
saying,  I was  afraid  for  I 
thought  you  would  take  your 
daughters  from  me  by  force. 
41These  twenty  years  have  I 
been  in  your  house;  I served 
you  fourteen  years  for  your 
two  daughters,  and  six  years 
for  your  flock,  and  you  have 
changed  my  wages  ten  times. 
42Unless  the  God  of  my  father, 
the  God  of  Abraham  and  the 
Fear  of  Isaac,  had  been  with 
me,  surely  now  you  had  sent 
me  away  empty.  God  hath 
seen  my  affliction  and  the 
labor  of  my  hands,  and  he 
rebuked  you  last  night. 


§ 37.  Jacob’s  Covenant  with  Laban — Treaties  between  the  Israelites  and 
Arameans,  Gen.  3143-55,  321'  2>  13a 


Early  Judean 

Gen.  31  44 Then  Laban 
answered.  Come,  let  us  make 
a covenant,  I and  you,  and  let 
there  be  a witness  between  me 
and  you.  46Therefore  Jacob11 
said  to  the  members  of  his 
family,  Gather  stones.  And 
when  they  had  taken  stones 
and  made  a heap,  they  ate 
there  by  the  heap.  47 And  La- 
ban called  it  Jegar-saha-dutha 
[Heap  of  witness];  but  Jacob 
called  it  Galeed0  [Heap  of  wit- 
ness] . 48 And  Laban  said , This 
heap  is  witness  between  me 
and  you  to-day.  Therefore  he 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

31 43Then  Laban  answered  Jacob  saying, 
The  daughters  are  my  daughters,  and  the 
children  are  my  grandchildren,  and  the  flocks 
are  my  flocks,  and  all  that  you  see  is  mine, 
but  what  can  I do  to-day  for  these  my 
daughters,  or  for  their  children  whom  they 
have  borne  ? 45So  Jacob  took  a stone,  and  set 
it  up  for  a pillar,  49and  Laban  called  it  Miz- 
pah  [Place  of  watching],  for  he  said,  May 
Jehovah  watch  between  me  and  you  when 
we  are  absent  one  from  another,  50that  you 
may  not  maltreat  my  daughters  nor  take 
other  wives  besides  my  daughters.  No  man 
is  with  us;  beware,  God  is  witness  between 
me  and  you . And  Jacob  swore  by  the  Fear 
of  his  father  Isaac.  54Then  Jacob  offered 


§ 37  Here  the  two  prophetic  narratives  are  continued.  The  Judean  localizes  the  scene  at 
Gilead,47'  48 , the  Ephraimite  at  Mizpah,49.  In  the  one  the  memorial  of  the  covenant  is  a heap 
of  atones, 46-*8.  61  ■ 62;  in  the  other  it  is  a pillar, 44 . In  one  the  motive  is  to  fix  the  boundary,  62; 
in  the  other  it  is  to  protect  the  daughters  of  Laban,43.  321'  2'  13“  complete  the  Ephraimite 
version,  with  the  traditional  account  of  the  origin  of  the  name  Mahanaim  and  of  the  sanctuary 
located  there. 

11  3146  According  to  61  Laban  set  up  the  heap  and  pillar. 

0 3147  Heb.  equivalent  of  the  preceding  Aram,  expression. 

116 


Gen.  3148]  JACOB’S  COVENANT  WITH  LABAN  [Gen.  31s* 


Early  Judean 

called  it  Galeed.  61Moreover 
Laban  said  to  Jacob,  Behold 
this  heap,  and  behold  the  pil- 
lar^ which  I have  set  between 
me  and  you . 52This  heap  is  a 
witness  and  the  pillar  I1  is  a witness, 
that  I will  not  pass  over  this 
heap  to  you,  and  that  you 
shall  not  pass  over  this  heap 
and  this  pillar  p to  me,  for  harm. 
53The  God  of  Abraham  and 
the  God  of  Nahor  (the  God  of 
their  ancestors),  judge  be- 
tween us. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 
a sacrifice  on  the  mountain  and  called  his 
kinsmen  to  eat  bread;  and  they  ate  bread 
and  spent  the  night  on  the  mountain. 

55Then  early  in  the  morning  Laban  arose, 
and , when  he  had  kissed  his  grandsons  and 
his  granddaughters  and  blessed  them,  Laban 
departed  and  returned  to  his  home. 

32  xAnd  Jacob  went  on  his  way  and  the 
Messengers  of  God  met  him.  2 And  Jacob 
said,  when  he  saw  them,  This  is  God’s 
company;  therefore  he  called  the  name  of 
that  place  Mahanaimq  [Company].  13aAnd 
he  lodged  there  that  night. 


§ 38.  Jacob’s  Preparations  to  Meet  Esau — Primitive  Israelitish  Diplomacy, 

Gen.  323-12'  13b-23 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  32  3And  Jacob  sent  messengers  before  him  to  Esau  his  brother  to 
the  land  of  Seir,  the  territory  of  Edom.  4And  he  commanded  them  saying, 
Speak  thus  to  my  lord  Esau:  ‘Your  servant  Jacob  says,  I have  prolonged  my 
sojourn  with  Laban  until  now’5and  I have  oxen  and  asses,  flocks  and  men- 
servants,  and  maid-servants,  and  I have  sent  to  tell  my  lord,  that  I may  find 
favor  in  your  sight.’  6And  the  messengers  returned  to  Jacob  saying,  We 
came  to  your  brother  Esau,  even  as  he  was  coming  to  meet  you  with  four 
hundred  men. 

7Then  Jacob  was  greatly  afraid  and  distressed.  So  he  divided  the  people  that 
were  with  him,  and  the  flocks  and  the  herds,  and  the  camels  into  two  companies,  8and  said, 
If  Esau  comes  to  the  one  company  and  smites  it,  then  the  company  which  is  left  can  escape. 

9 And  Jacob  said,  O God  of  my  father  Abraham  and  God  of  rqy  father  Isaac,  O Jehovah 
who  saidst  to  me,  ‘Return  to  thy  country,  and  to  thy  kindred,  and  I will  do  well  by  thee.’ 
10I  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all  the  loving  kindnesses  and  of  all  the  faithfulness,  which 
thou  hast  shown  thy  servant,  for  with  my  staff  I passed  over  this  Jordan;  and  now  I have 
become  two  companies.  1!Deliver  me,  I pray  thee,  from  the  hand  of  my  brother,  from  the 
hand  of  Esau;  for  I fear  him,  lest  he  come  and  smite  me,  the  mother  with  the  children. 
12 And  thou  saidst, ‘I  will  surely  do  well  by  thee,  and  make  thy  descendants  as  the  sand  of  the 
sea,  which  cannot  be  numbered  for  multitude,  because  they  shall  be  so  numerous. 


Laban’s 

depart- 

ure 


Jacob’s 
experi- 
ence at 
Maha- 
naim 


Jacob’s 
message 
to  Esau 


Division 
of  his 
followers 

His 
prayer 
for  deliv- 
erance 


p 3161*  52  The  references  to  a pillar  appear  to  have  been  introduced  by  the  editor  in  order  to 
reconcile  the  Judean  with  the  Ephraimite  narrative. 

q 322  The  Heb.  form  of  the  word  suggests  a dual,  and  it  is  evidently  so  regarded  by  the 
author  of  the  story  of  the  two  companies  in  327b12  (cf.  note  § 38),  but  the  analogies  in  the  case 
of  place-names  seem  to  indicate  that  it  is  simply  due  to  the  expansion  of  a shorter  ending. 

§ 38  The  classification  of  this  story  is  difficult.  Vss.3'7a  may  be  assigned  on  the  basis  of 
the  linguistic  evidence  to  the  Judean  source.  Vss.  7b'12  likewise  have  many  affinities  with  the 
late  prophetic  strand.  Cf.  1610  and  2217  and  in  general  their  hortatory  character.  The  subse- 
quent narratives  also  contain  no  reference  to  the  division  into  two  companies,  where  it  would 
naturally  be  expected.  The  passage  apparently  contains  a later  traditional  derivation  of  the 
name  Mahanaim,  the  form  of  which  suggests  the  meaning  two  companies  or  camps.  Many 
scholars  regard  13b_22  as  an  Ephraimite  parallel  to  3-7 ; but  the  evidence  seems  rather  to  point 
to  a Judean  source.  In  17  it  is  assumed  that  Esau  is  on  his  way  to  meet  Jacob.  Cf.  3 6-  328-10, 
which  is  generally  assigned  to  the  Judean  source,  is  closely  related  to  3121.  The  confusion  in 
the  account  of  the  crossing  of  the  Jabbok  in  22  • 23  is  probably  due  to  the  blending  of  two  versions. 
The  narrative  which  leaves  Jacob  on  the  north  side, 2211  • 23b,  must  in  the  light  of  the  subsequent 
context  belong  to  the  Judean,  while  the  remainder  represents  the  remnant  of  the  Ephraimite 
parallel. 


117 


Gen.  3213b]  THE  JACOB  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Hispres-  13bAnd  he  took  from  that  which  he  had  with  him  a present  for  Esau  his 
Esau  brother:  14two  hundred  she-goats  and  twenty  he-goats,  two  hundred  ewes 
and  twenty  rams,  15thirty  milch  camels  and  their  colts,  forty  cows  and  ten 
bulls,  twenty  she-asses  and  ten  foals.  16And  he  delivered  them  into  the  care 
of  his  servants,  each  drove  by  itself,  and  said  to  his  servants,  Pass  over  before 
me,  and  leave  a space  between  the  droves.  17And  he  commanded  the 
foremost,  saying,  When  Esau  my  brother  meets  you  and  asks  you  saying, 
‘To  whom  do  you  belong?  and  where  are  you  going ? and  whose  are  these 
before  you  ?’  18then  you  shall  say,  ‘Your  servant  Jacob’s;  it  is  a present  sent 
to  my  lord,  to  Esau;  and  he  himself  is  just  behind  us.’  19Thus  he  com- 
manded also  the  second,  and  the  third,  and  all  that  followed  the  droves, 
saying,  In  this  manner  shall  you  speak  to  Esau,  when  you  find  him,  20and 
you  shall  say,  ‘Moreover  thy  servant  Jacob  is  just  behind  us.’  (For  he  said 
to  himself,  ‘I  will  appease  him  with  the  present  that  goes  before  me,  and 
not  until  then  will  I see  his  face;  perhaps  he  will  receive  me.)  21So  the 
present  passed  over  before  him,  but  he  himself  lodged  that  night  in  the  camp. 

Crossing  22Then  he  rose  up  that  night,  and  took  his  two  wives,  and  his  two  maid- 
the  Jab-  . * “ 

bok  servants,  and  his  eleven  children,  and  passed  over  the  ford  of  the  Jabbok.  23 And  he 
took  them,  and  sent  them  over  the  stream,  and  sent  over  that  which  he  had. 


§ 39.  Jacob’s  Wrestling  with  God— Indomitable  Courage  and  Ambition  of 
the  Israelitish  Race,  Gen.  3224-32 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

The  tong  Gen.  32  24When  Jacob  was  left  alone,  one  wrestled  with  him  until  day- 
ana  tie  break.  25And  when  he  saw  that  he  did  not  prevail  against  him,  he  smote 

divine  . ^ o ^ 

blessing  the  hollow  of  his  thigh  and  the  hollow  of  Jacob’s  thigh  was  strained,  as  he 
wrestled  with  him.  26Then  he  said,  Send  me  away,  for  the  day  is  breaking. 
But  Jacob  replied,  I will  not  let  thee  go  except  thou  bless  me.  27 And  he  said 
to  him,  What  is  thy  name?  And  he  replied,  Jacob.  28Then  he  said,  Thy 
name  shall  be  called  no  more  Jacob,  but  Israel  [God’s  struggler]r;  for  thou 
hast  struggled  with  God  and  with  men,  and  hast  prevailed.  29 And  Jacob 
asked  him,  saying,  Tell  me,  I pray  thee,  thy  name.  And  he  said,  Why  is  it 
that  thou  dost  ask  my  name  ? So  he  blessed  him  there. 

Origin  of  30Then  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the  place  Peniel  [Face  of  God] ; for  he  said,  I have  seen 
Pemel  God  face  to  face,  yet  my  life  has  been  preserved. 

Sanctity  31But  the  sun  rose  as  soon  as  he  had  passed  beyond  Penuel,  and  he  limped 

hip  mus-  upon  his  thigh.  32This  is  why  to  this  day  the  children  of  Israel  do  not  eat  the 
cle 


§ 39  This  graphic  account  of  the  divine  revelation  to  Jacob  reflects  the  primitive  conceptions 
of  Jehovah  which  appear  in  many  other  of  the  Judean  prophetic  stories.  It  also  gives  the 
traditional  origin  of  the  name  Israel  which  hereafter  takes  the  place  of  the  name  Jacob  in  this 
group  of  stories.  The  struggle  is  appropriately  localized  beside  the  Jabbok,  which  means  the 
Struggler.  Vs.  30  seems  to  introduce  a tradition  regarding  the  origin  of  the  name  Peniel  which 
is  distinct  from  the  rest  of  the  narrative.  In  3310  is  found  the  Judean  origin  of  the  name  Penuel. 
Vs.  30  also  implies  that  the  scene  of  the  incident  is  south  of  the  Jabbok,  which  is  in  harmony 
with  3222b.  It  would  seem  (possibly  together  with 29)  to  represent  the  conclusion  of  an  Ephraim- 
ite  version  of  the  revelation  beside  the  Jabbok. 

r 3223  Or,  Struggler  against  God.  This  popular  etymology  is  a striking  epitome  of  Israel’s 
national  spirit.  The  word  probably  means  El  contends  or  Prince  of  God. 

118 


JACOB’S  WRESTLING  WITH  GOD 


[Gen.  3232 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

hip  muscle,3  which  is  at  the  hollow  of  the  thigh,  for  he  touched  the  hollow 
of  Jacob’s  thigh  on  the  hip  muscle. 

§ 40.  Jacob’s  Meeting  with  Esau — Adjustment  of  Rival  Claims  between  the 
Israelites  and  Edomites,  Gen.  331_n 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  33  *And  when  Jacob  lifted  up  his  eyes  he  saw  Esau  coming  with  Meeting 
four  hundred  men . Then  he  apportioned  the  children  to  Leah  and  to  Rachel,  two  e 
and  to  the  two  maid-servants.  2And  he  put  the  m^id-servants  and  their  ""  ers 
children  in  front,  and  Leah  and  her  children  next,  and  Rachel  and  Joseph  in 
the  rear.  3Then  he  himself  passed  over  before  them,  and  bowed  himself  to 
the  ground  seven  times,  until  he  came  near  to  his  brother.  4And  Esau  ran 
to  meet  him,  and  embraced  him,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him,  and 
they  wept.  5When  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  saw  the  women  and  the 
children,  he  said,  Who  are  these  with  you  ? And  he  answered,  The  children 
whom  God  hath  graciously  given  your  servant.  6Then  the  maid-servants 
together  with  their  children  approached,  and  bowed  themselves.  7Leah 
also  and  her  children  approached,  and  bowed  themselves,  and  afterwards 
Joseph  and  Rachel  approached,  and  bowed  themselves. 

8And  [Esau]  said,  What  do  you  mean  by  all  this  company  which  I met?  Jacob’s 
And  [Jacob]  replied,  To  find  favor  in  the  sight  of  my  lord.  9And  [Esau]  toEsay 
said,  I have  abundance,  my  brother;  keep  what  you  have.  10But  Jacob 
replied,  Nay,  I pray  you,  if  now  I have  found  favor  in  your  sight,  then  receive 
my  present*  from  my  hand ; for  I have  looked  upon  your  face  as  one  looks 
upon  the  face  of  God,  and  you  have  regarded  me  favorably.”  11Take,I  pray 
you,  my  giftv  that  is  brought  to  you,  because  God  hath  dealt  graciously  with 
me,  and  because  I have  enough.  Thus  he  urged  him  importunately  until 
he  took  it. 

12Then  Esau  said,  Let  us  set  out  and  go  on  our  way,  and  let  me  go  before  The 
you.  13But  he  replied  to  him,  My  lord  knows  that  the  children  are  tender,  parting1 
and  that  I have  flocks  and  herds  with  their  young;  and  if  they  overdrive  them 
one  day  all  the  flocks  will  die.  14Let  my  lord,  1 pray  you,  pass  over  before 
his  servant,  and  I will  proceed  leisurelyw  according  to  the  pace  of  the  cattle 
which  I am  driving,  and  according  to  the  pace  of  the  children,  until  I come 
to  my  lord  at  Seir.  15Then  Esau  said,  Let  me  at  least  leave  with  you  some 
of  the  people  who  are  with  me.  But  Jacob  replied,  What  need  is  there  ? let 


8 S232  The  muscle  referred  to  is  the  nervns  ischiadicus,  or  musculus  glutceus.  The  latter  in 
animals  is  an  especially  desirable  portion  for  eating. 

§ 40  In  this  section  the  main  story  is  drawn  from  the  Judean  source.  Cf.  § 38.  Traces  of 
the  parallel  Ephraimite  version  are  perhaps  to  be  found  in  4-  6-  11 ; although  the  use  of  the 
designation  God  by  a foreigner  in  5 is  characteristic  of  both  the  older  prophetic  narratives. 
Linguistic  evidence  on  the  whole  also  points  to  the  Judean  source. 

t 3310  rpke  Word  is  the  one  commonly  used  to  describe  an  offering  brought  to  God. 

Jacob  also  goes  on  to  say  that  he  has  brought  it  to  Esau  as  he  would  to  God. 

u 338-jo  Evidently  a common  form  of  address  in  ancient  Israel,  when  a favor  was  asked 
Cf.  2 Sam.  14". 

T 3311  Lit.,  blessing,  i.  gift  of  greeting,  intended  to  secure  Esau’s  blessing. 
w 3314  The  verb  implies  an  advance  with  frequent  stops  for  rest. 

119 


Gen.3315]  THE  JACOB  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

me  only  find  favor  in  the  sight  of  my  lord.  16So  Esau  returned  that  day 
on  his  way  to  Seir. 

Ongmof  J/But  Jacob  journeyed  to  Succoth,  and  built  there  a house  for  himself, 
and  made  huts  for  his  cattle ; therefore  the  name  of  the  place  is  called  Succoth 
[Huts]. 

§ 41.  Dinah  and  Shechem — Early  Alliances  with  Canaanite  Tribes, 

Gen.  3318'20,  34,  355 

Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  33  18Now  Jacob  came  in  peace  to  the  city 
of  Shechem  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  when  he  came  from 
Paddan-Aram,  and  encamped  before  the  city. 
19And  he  bought  the  piece  of  ground  where  he 
pitched  his  tent,  from  the  sons  of  Harnor,  the 
father  of  Shechem,  for  four  hundred  shekels;1 
20and  he  erected  there  an  altar  and  called  it  El, 
God  of  Israel. y 


Jacob  at  34  N ow  Shechem,  the  son  of  Ha-  j 34  xAnd  Dinah  the  daughter  of 
chem  rnor  saw  Dinah  the  daughter  of  Jacob  ; Leah  whom  she  had  borne  to  Jacob, 
2band  took  her  and  humbled  her,3abut  went  out  to  make  the  acquaintance 


Early  Judean 


§ 41  The  evidence  is  conclusive  that  two  originally  distinct  narratives  are  closely  blended 
together  in  34.  For  example  in  4-11  sometimes  Shechem  and  sometimes  Hamor  is  the  subject, 
and  again  either  Jacob  or  the  sons  of  Jacob.  In  8 it  is  Hamor  who  negotiates ; but  in 11  Shechem. 
In  14  it  is  simply  demanded  that  Shechem  be  circumcised;  but  in  15  the  whole  city,  as  the  pre- 
liminary to  marital  alliances.  In  26  Shechem  alone  is  attacked,  but  in  27-29  the  entire  city  is 
smitten  and  spoiled.  The  heaping  up  of  parallel  clauses  in  2b.  3 also  strongly  suggests  the  com- 
bination of  two  narratives.  Following  the  guide  of  these  and  the  additional  linguistic  indica- 
tions two. variant  versions  of  this  old  tribal  tradition  are  clearly  distinguishable.  In  the  one 
the  negotiations  are  conducted  between  Shechem  and  Jacob.  As  a preparation  for  marriage 
Shechem  submits  to  the  preliminary  rite  of  circumcision,  but  is  basely  slain  by  Simeon  and 
Levi.  A subsequent  Judean  tradition  associates  with  Moses  (Ex.  424.  25)  the  first  transference 
of  this  rite  from  the  marital  to  the  period  of  infancy,  § 62.  Fact  and  the  linguistic  evidence 
point  to  the  Judean  source.  It  is  this  oldest  version  which  is  alluded  to  in  the  ancient  Judean 
poem,  Gen.  495J. 

The  classification  of  the  other  narrative,  in  which  Hamor  figures  as  the  spokesman,  and  all 
the  men  of  his  city  are  circumcised  and  later  fall  a prey  to  the  united  attack  of  the  sons  of 
Jacob,  is  not  so  obvious.  The  work  of  an  editor  is  apparent  in  33lsb  and  3413.  27,  but  otherwise 
the  language  is  not  that  of  the  late  priestly  writers,  nor  the  picture,  as  a whole,  for  they  always 
present  the  patriarchs  in  a favorable  light  and  regard  the  rite  of  circumcision  as  peculiar  to  the 
Hebrews  and  therefore  not  to  be  shared  with  their  heathen  neighbors.  Cf.  § 16.  The  points 
of  affinity  both  in  thought  and  language  are  closest  with  the  Ephraimite  narrative,  although 
like  many  similar  stories  in  Judges,  its  peculiarities  suggest  that  the  tradition  was  transmitted 
through  different  channels  than  the  other  Ephraimite  narratives  in  Gen.  before  it  was  com- 
mitted to  writing,  or  else  that  it  comes  from  a later  strand. 

The  historical  background  of  this  ancient  tribal  tradition  is  evidently  the  early  part  of  the 
period  of  Hebrew  settlement  in  Canaan.  Like  the  stories  of  Reuben  and  Bilhah  and  Judah 
and  Tamar,  it  might  more  appropriately  have  been  included  m the  book  of  Judges.  Judg.  9 
furnishes  independent  evidence  of  the  early  alliances  between  the  Israelites  and  Shechemites. 
That  Gen.  34  contains  important  historical  data  is  generally  recognized.  It  suggests  that 
the  Hebrew  sub-tribe  of  Dinah  was  early  absorbed  by  the  powerful  Shechemites  and  that  the 
older  tribes  of  Simeon  and  Levi,  resenting  the  humiliating  alliance,  sought  by  a treacherous 
attack  to  vindicate  the  honor  of  the  Israelites.  Their  treachery,  however,  aroused  the  Ca- 
naanites  to  united  opposition,  which  resulted  in  the  almost  complete  extinction  of  the  tribes. 
Cf.  Gen.  495-7.  Subsequent  history  confuses  this  tradition,  for  in  the  early  Hebrew  period  the 
survivors  of  these  tribes  are  found  in  the  extreme  south,  affiliated  with  Judah,  and  they  never 
later  assumed  an  independent  role. 

* 3319  Lit.,  one  hundred  quislta — 400  shekels. 

j 3320  Gk.,  called  upon  the  God  oj  Israel. 


She- 
chem's 
passion 
ror  Di- 
nah 


120 


Gen.  342b]  DINAH  AND  SHECHEM  [Gen.  341 


Early  Judean 

his  heart  was  fixed  on  Dinah  the 
daughter  of  Jacob.  5 And  Jacob  heard 
that  he  had  defiled  Dinah  his  daugh- 
ter, but  his  sons  were  with  his  cattle  in 
the  field,  so  Jacob  said  nothing  until 
they  came.  7 And  the  sons  of  Jacob 
came  in  from  the  field , when  they  heard 
of  it,  and  the  men  were  indignant  and 
became  very  angry  because  [Shechem] 
had  committed  a shameful  crime  in 
lying  with  Jacob’s  daughter:  which 
thing  ought  never  to  be  done ! 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

ofz  the  women  of  the  land.  2aAnd 
Shechem  the  son  of  Hamor  the  Hivite, 
the  prince  of  the  land,  saw  her,  and 
lay  with  her,  3bbut  he  loved  the 
maiden  and  spoke  endearingly  to 
the  maiden.  4Therefore  Shechem 
spoke  to  his  father  Hamor,  saying. 
Get  me  this  maiden  for  my  wife. 


nBut  Shechem  said  to 
her  father  and  to  her 
brothers,  Let  me  find  fa- 
vor in  your  sight,  and  I 
will  give  you  what  you  ask 
of  me.  12Demand  of  me 
an  exceedingly  large  gift 
for  yourselves  and  dowry 
for  the  bride,  and  I shall 
give  as  you  shall  ask  of 
me ; only  give  me  the 
maiden  for  my  wife. 
14Then  her  brothers  said 
to  him,  We  cannot  do  this, 
namely,  give  our  sister  to 
one  who  is  uncircum- 
cised, for  that  were  a re- 
proach to  us. 


19But  the  young  man 
did  not  hesitate  to  do  the 
thing  demanded,  because 
he  was  pleased  with  Ja- 
cob’s daughter;  and  he 
was  honored  above  all 
the  house  of  his  father. 


6Then  Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem  went  out  Negotia- 
te Jacob  to  speak  with  him  and  with  his  sons,  ninah 
8And  Hamor  conversed  with  them  saying,  My 
son  Shechem  has  set  his  heart  on  your  daughter. 

I pray  you  give  her  to  him  as  wife;  9and  inter- 
marry with  us:  give  your  daughters  to  us  and 
take  our  daughters  for  yourselves.  10Then  you 
shall  dwell  with  us,  and  the  land  shall  be  open 
before  you.  Remain,  go  about,  and  settle  down 
in  it.  13Tlien  the  sons  of  Jacob  answered  Shechem 
and  Hamor  his  father  with  guile,  and  declared, 
(because  he  had  defiled  Dinah  their  sister),  73Only  on 
this  condition  will  we  make  an  alliance  with  you: 
if  you  will  be  as  we  are,  in  that  every  male  of  you 
be  circumcised . 16Then  will  we  give  our  daughters 
to  you  and  take  your  daughters  to  us  and  will 
dwell  with  you  and  we  will  become  one  people. 

17But  if  you  will  not  listen  to  us  and  allow 
yourselves  to  be  circumcised,  then  we  will  take 
our  daughter  and  be  gone.  18 And  their  words 
pleased  Hamor  and  Shechem  Hamor ’s  son. 

20Then  Ilamor  and  Shechem  his  son  came  to  Circum- 
the  gate  of  their  city,  and  conversed  with  the  men  prelimi- 
of  their  city,  saying,  21These  men  are  peaceably  themar- 
disposed  toward  us,  therefore  let  them  remain  in  riage 
the  land  and  go  about  in  it;  for,  behold,  the  land 
is  broad  enough  for  them  on  every  side  and  in 
every  direction;  let  us  take  their  daughters  to 
us  for  wives,  and  let  us  give  them  our  daughters. 

22Only  on  this  condition  will  the  men  consent  to 
dwell  with  us  to  become  one  people,  namely, 


• 341  Gk.,  become  acquainted  with. 

121 


THE  JACOB  STORIES 


Gen.  3420b] 


[Gen.  3422 


Early  Judean 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

that  every  male  among  us  be  circumcised,  as  they 
are  circumcised.  23Shall  not  their  cattle  and 
their  goods  and  all  their  beasts  be  ours  ? only  let 
us  make  an  alliance  with  them  that  they  may 
dwell  with  us.  24Then  all  who  went  in  and  out 
of  the  gate  of  his  city  hearkened  to  Hamor  and 
Shechem.  And  every  male  was  circumcised, 
all  who  went  out  of  the  gate  of  his  city. 


treacher  25bThen  two  of  the  sons  of  Jacob, 
ousat-  Simeon  and  Levi,  Dinah’s  brethren, 
took  each  man  his  sword  and  came 
upon  the  city  unawares,  26and  put 
Hamor  and  Shechem  his  son  to  the 
sword, a and  took  Dinah  out  of 
Shechem ’s  house  and  went  forth 
29bwith  all  that  was  in  the  house. 


sequel  30Then  Jacob  said  to  Simeon  and 
Levi,  You  have  brought  me  into 
trouble,  in  that  you  have  made  me 
odious  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  land, 
among  the  Canaanites  and  the  Perizzites. 
Since  I have  only  a few  people,0 
if  they  gather  themselves  together 
against  me  they  will  smite  me  and  I 
and  my  house  shall  be  destroyed. 
31  But  they  replied.  Should  he  have 
dealt  with  our  sister  as  with  a harlot  ? 


25aAnd  it  came  to  pass  on  the  third 
day  when  they  were  sore,  that  27a’cthe 
sons  of  Jacob  came  upon  the  cir- 
cumcised*3 men  and  slew  all  the 
males,  27band  plundered  the  city, 
because  they  had  defiled  their  sister.  23They 
took  their  flocks  and  their  herds  and 
their  asses  and  that  which  was  in  the 
city  and  that  which  was  in  the  field. 
29aAnd  all  their  wealth,  and  all  their 
little  ones  and  their  wives,  they  took 
captive  and  made  a prey. 

35  5Then  they  departed;  and  a 
great  terror  came  upon  the  cities  that 
were  round  about  them,  so  that  they 
did  not  pursue  the  sons  of  Jacob.d 


§ 42.  Jacob’s  Return  to  Bethel — Primitive  Allegiance  to  Israel’s  God, 
Gen.  351-* * * §’  T-  »-15 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 


com-  Gen.  35  4Then  God  said  to  Jacob,  35  6aThen  Jacob  came  to  Luz, 
sacrifice  Arise  go  up  to  Bethel,  and  dwell  there,  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan  (that 

at  Bethel  ° r 


* 3426  Heb.  idiom,  slew  at  the  mouth  of  the  sword. 

b 34271  Heb.,  slain;  but  this  is  not  in  harmony  with  the  context  and  is  probably  due  to  the 
fact  that  a copyist  read  this  for  the  very  similar  Heb.  word  meaning  circumcised. 

c 3430  Heb.,  I being  few  in  number. 

4 35s  This  verse  has  no  connection  with  its  context.  The  immediate  sequel  of  4b  is  6b.  The 
term  sons  of  Jacob,  as  well  as  the  contents,  indicates  that  that  is  the  conclusion  of  the  second 
version  of  the  Dinah  story.  _ The  suggestion  of  divine  protection  is  also  consonant  with  the 
representation  of  the  Ephraimite  source.  Cf.  Introd.,  p.  39. 

§ 42  The  geographical  terminology,  the  general  representation,  and  the  unmistakable 
idioms  at  once  proclaim  that  • 9-13.  it  contain  the  late  priestly  account  of  the  divine  revelation 

122 


Divine 
revela- 
tion and 
promise 


Prepara- 
tions for 
the  sac- 
rifice 


Erection 
of  an 
altar  and 
pillar 


Gen.351]  JACOB’S  RETURN  TO  BETHEL  [Gen.  356a 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 
and  make  there  an  altar  to  God,  who 
appeared  to  thee  when  thou  didst  flee 
from  the  face  of  Esau  thy  brother. 

2Theref ore  Jacob  said  to  his  house- 
hold, and  to  all  who  were  with  him, 
Put  away  the  foreign  gods  that  are 
among  you  and  purify  yourselves, 
and  change  your  garments,  3and  let 
us  arise,  and  go  up  to  Bethel,  and  I 
will  make  there  an  altar  to  God,  who 
answered  me  in  the  day  of  my  dis- 
tress, and  was  with  me  on  the  jour- 
ney which  I was  making.  _4So  they 
gave  to  Jacob  all  the  foreign  gods 
which  were  in  their  hand,  and  the 
rings  which  were  in  their  ears,  and 
Jacob  hid  them  under  the  oak  which 
was  by  Shechem. 

6bHe  and  all  the  people  who  were 
with  him  came  to  Bethel. 

7And  he  built  there  an  altar,  and 
called  the  place  El-Bethel  [The  God 
of  the  house  of  God];  because  there 
God  revealed  himself  to  him,  when  he 
fled  from  the  presence  of  his  brother. 
14And  Jacob  set  up  at  the  place  where 
[God]  had  spoken  with  him,  a pil- 
lar of  stone,  and  poured  a libation 
and  oil  upon  it. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 
is,  Bethel) . 9 And  God  appeared  again 
to  Jacob  when  he  came  from  Paddan- 
aram,  and  blessed  him.  10 And  God 
said  to  him,  Thy  name  is  Jacob;  thy 
name  shall  no  longer  be  called  Jacob, 
but  Israel  shall  be  thy  name.e  So 
he  called  his  name  Israel.  1 'More- 
over God  said  to  him,  I am  El-Shad- 
dai  [God  Almighty];  be  fruitful  and 
become  numerous;  a nation  and  a 
multitude  of  nations  shall  there  be 
from  thee  and  kings  shall  come  forth 
from  thy  loins;  12and  the  land  which 
I gave  to  Abraham  and  Isaac,  I will 
give  to  thee;  and  to  thy  descendants 
after  thee  will  I give  the  land. 

13Then  God  went  up  from  him  at  Ongnot 
the  place  where  he  spoke  with  him. 

15So  Jacob  called  the  name  of  the 
place  where  God  spoke  with  him, 

Bethel. 


§ 43.  Jacob’s  Domestic  Experiences  in  Canaan — Incidents  in  Early  Tribal 

History,  Gen.  35s-  16-2J<  27-29,  S66-8,  371 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  35  8Then  Deborah,  Rebekah’s  nurse,  died,  and  was  buried  below  Death  oi 
Bethel  under  the  oak.  Therefore  its  name  was  called  Allon-bacuth  [Oak  of  bek»h’» 

• i nurse 

weepingj . 


to  Jacob  at  Bethel.  The  remaining  veises  of  the  section  are  the  sequel  to  the  earlier  Ephraim- 
ite account  of  the  revelation  at  the  same  place,  § 31.  Cf.  God  in  '•  3'  7,  and  the  reference  to 
the  pillar,  which  is  peculiar  to  the  Ephraimite  version  in  § 31.  Evidently  either  the  original 
Ephraimite  narrators  or  the  later  prophetic  editor  of  351'7  had  in  mind  the  incident  recorded 
in  the  preceding  chapter,  for  in  3>  4 the  note  of  distress  and  the  feeling  that  everything  must  be 
done  to  secure  the  divine  favor  are  readily  recognized.  The  deliverance  of  Jacob  and  his 
sons  from  the  consequences  of  their  guilt  is  recounted  in  6.  The  analogy  with  Jacob’s  earlier 
flight  to  Bethel  after  a crime  had  been  committed,  § 31,  is  close. 

e 35’°  For  Judean  account  of  the  origin  of  the  name  Israel,  cf.  3228,  note  § 39. 

| 43  It  is  not  entirely  clear  from  which  prophetic  source  16-20  are  derived.  3710  (Ephraimite) 
seems  to  imply  that  Rachel  is  still  alive;  but  otherwise  the  indications  point  to  the  northern 
source.  Pillar, 20  is  peculiar  to  this  narrative.  Cf.  35u.  The  language  of  19  is  also  closely 
parallel  to  that  of  8 and  4810,  both  of  which  appear  to  belong  to  the  Ephraimite  source. 

The  change  of  the  name  Jacob  in  20  to  Israel  in  21  also  points  clearly  to  a transition  from  the 

123 


TIIE  JACOB  STORIES 


Gen.  3516] 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Death  of  16Then  they  set  out  from  Bethel,  and  when  they  were  still  some  distance 
and hel  fromEphrath,  fRachel  felt  the  pains  of  childbirth  and  had  hard  labor.  17Andit 
Benj1a°f  came  to  pass,  when  she  had  hard  labor,  that  the  midwife  said  to  her,  Do  not  be 
afraid,  for  now  you  will  have  another  son.  18And  it  came  to  pass,  as  her  life 
was  departing  (for  she  was  dying),  that  she  called  his  name  Benoni  [Son  of 
my  sorrow];  but  his  father  called  him  Benjamin  [Son  of  the  right  hand]. 
19Thus  Rachel  died  and  was  buried  in  the  way  to  Ephrath  (that  is,  Beth- 
lehem) , -’"and  Jacob  set  up  a pillar  upon  her  grave;  that  is  the  Pillarof  Rachel’s 
grave,  which  stands  until  this  day. 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

21Then  Israel  journeyed,  and  pitched  his  tent  beyond  Migdal-Eder  [Tower 
of  the  flock].  22 And  while  Israel  dwelt  in  that  land,  Reuben  went  and  lay 
with  Bilhah  his  father’s  concubine;  and  Israel  heard  of  it. g . . . 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Death  35  27Then  Jacob  came  to  Isaac  his  father,  to  Mamre,  even  to  Kiriath-arba 
lai'of "r"  (that  is  Hebron),  where  Abraham  and  Isaac  sojourned.  28 And  the  length 
lbaae  jgaac>g  [jfgh  was  one  hundred  and  eighty  years.  29Then  Isaac  breathed 
his  last  and  was  gathered  to  his  father’s  kin,  old  and  satisfied  with  life;  and 
Esau  and  Jacob  his  sons  buried  him. 

Esau’s  36  "Then  Esau  took  his  wives,  his  sons,  his  daughters,  and  all  the  members 
ureand  of  his  household  and  his  cattle  and  all  his  beasts  and  all  his  possessions 
dence  in  which  he  had  gathered  in  the  land  of  Canaan  and  went  to  a land  away  from 
Seir  his  brother  Jacob.  7For  their  possessions  were  too  many  for  them  to  dwell 
together,  and  the  land  where  they  sojourned  could  not  support  them  because 
of  their  cattle.  8SoEsau  dwelt  in  Mount  Seir  (Esau  is  Edom1);  37  1while 
Jacob  dwelt  in  the  land  where  his  father  had  sojourned  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 


Reu- 

ben’s 

crime 


§ 44.  Judah  and  Tamar — Alliances  between  the  Judean  and  Southern 
Canaanite  Tribes,  Gen.  38 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  38  :Now  it  came  to  pass  at  that  time  that  Judah  went  down  from  his 
kinsmen  and  turned  aside  to  a certain  Adullamite,  whose  name  was  Hirah. 


Ephraimite  to  the  Judean  narrative  which,  consistently  with  the  revelation  in  § 41,  hereafter 
uses  Israel,  while  the  other  retains  Jacob.  The  remaining  passages  contain  the  idioms  and 
ideas  peculiar  to  the  late  priestly  narratives. 

! 3516  Lit.,  there  was  still  some  distance  to  come  to  Ephrath. 

* 3522  Evidently  here  the  editor  has  preserved  only  a fragment  of  a longer  narrative,  which 
like  that  in  § 41,  represents  a primitive  tradition  regarding  the  relations  and  alliances  between 
tribes. 

h 3528  Heb.,  days. 

■ 36s  For  the  list  of  Esau’s  descendants  and  the  earlier  Edomite  kings  found  in  Gen. 
361-5.  9-42_  cf  Appendix  VII. 

§ 44  This  story  has  no  connection  with  the  Joseph  narratives  which  precede  and  follow  it 
in  Gen.  It  is  also  only  loosely  classified  with  the  Jacob  traditions.  Its  affinities  are  with 
the  Dinah  and  Sheehem  story  § 41  and  with  the  stories  of  the  book  of  Judges.  It  treats  of  the 
origin  and  history  of  certain  southern  Israelitish  clans  during  the  period  of  settlement  in  Canaan. 
It  also  illustrates  and  emphasizes  the  Levirite  law  which  is  formulated  in  Dt.  256-10.  The  story 
belongs  to  the  south,  and  certain  linguistic  indications  point  to  the  Judean  prophetic  group  of 
narratives,  although  the  connection  is  not  close.  Its  naive  moral  standards  reveal  its  very 
early  origin. 


124 


JUDAH  AND  TAMAR 


[Gen.  382 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

2And  Judah  saw  there  a daughter  of  a Canaanite  whose  name  was  Shua;  and  Judah’s 
he  took  her  as  wife  and  went  in  unto  her. i *  3And  she  conceived,  and  bore  a hy'lfca- 
son,  and  he  called  his  name  Er.  4Then  she  conceived  again,  and  bore  a son,  ^f"lte 
and  called  his  name  Onan.  5And  she  bore  still  another  son  and  called  his 
name  Shelah;  and  it  was  at  Chezib  that  she  bore  him. 

6Now  Judah  took  a wife  for  Er  his  eldest  son,  and  her  name  was  Tamar,  pivine 
7But  Er,  Judah’s  eldest  son,  was  so  wicked  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah,  that  Jehovah  j^ednt 
slew  him.  8Then  Judah  said  to  Onan,  Go  in  unto  your  brother’s  wife,  and  andnEr 
perform  the  duty  of  a husband’s  brother  to  her,  and  raise  up  offspring  for  your  0nan 
brother.  9But  Onan  knew  that  the  seed  would  not  be  his,  therefore  when  he 
went  in  to  his  brother’s  wife  he. spilled  it  on  the  ground,  in  order  not  to  raise 
up  offspring  for  his  brother.  10And  what  he  did  was  evil  in  the  sight  of 
Jehovah;  therefore  he  slew  him  also. 

11Then  said  Judah  to  Tamar  his  daughter-in-law,  Remain  a widow  in  your  Judah’s 
father’s  house,  until  Shelah  my  son  has  grown  up;  for  he  said  to  himself,  I toj,r2lce 
will  not  let  him  go  in  unto  her,  lest  he  also  die  like  his  brothers.  So  Tamar  mar 
went  and  dwelt  in  her  father’s  house. 

12After  many  days  had  passed,  Shua’s  daughter,  the  wife  of  Judah,  died.  Tamars 
And  when  Judah  was  comforted  he  went  up  to  see  about  his  sheep-shearers  tkm  and 
at  Timnah,  he  and  his  friend  Hirah,  the  Adullamite.  13Then  it  was  told  ^tti 
Tamar,  saying,  Behold,  your  father-in-law  is  going  up  to  Timnah  to  shear  Judah 
his  sheep.  14And  she  put  off  from  her  the  garments  of  her  widowhood  and 
covered  herself  with  her  veil,  and  thus  veiled,  she  sat  in  the  gate  of  Enaim, 
which  is  by  the  way  to  Timnah;  for  she  saw  that  Shelah  had  grown  up  without 
her  being  given  to  him  as  wife.  15When  Judah  saw  her,  he  thought  her  to 
be  a harlot,  because  she  had  veiled  her  face.  16So  he  turned  aside  to  her  by 
the  way  and  said,  Permit  me,  I pray  you,  to  come  in  unto  you,  for  he  did  not 
know  that  she  was  his  daughter-in-law.  And  she  said,  What  will  you  give  me, 
that  you  may  come  in  unto  me  ? 17 And  he  said,  I will  send  you  a kid  of  the 
goats  from  the  flock.  And  she  said,  Will  you  give  me  a pledge  until  you  send 
it  ? 18And  he  said,  What  pledge  shall  I give  you  ? And  she  said  Your  seal- 
ring and  your  chain  and  your  staff  that  is  in  your  hand.  So  he  gave  them  to 
her,  and  came  in  unto  her,  and  she  conceived  by  him.  19Then  she  arose  and 
went  away  and  took  off  her  veil  and  put  on  the  garments  of  her  widowhood. 

20Now  when  Judah  sent  the  kid  of  the  goats  by  the  hand  of  his  friend  the  Judah’s 
Adullamite  to  receive  the  pledge  from  the  woman’s  hand,  he  did  not  find  her.  secure to 
21Then  he  asked  the  men  of  her  place  saying,  Where  is  the  sacred  prostitute”  pledge 
who  was  at  Enaim  by  the  wayside  ? And  they  said,  There  has  been  no  sacred 
prostitute  here.  22So  he  returned  to  Judah,  and  said,  I have  not  found  her, 
and  moreover  the  men  of  the  place  said,  ‘There  has  been  no  sacred  prosti- 
tute” here.’  33 And  Judah  said,  Let  her  keep  it  that  we  may  not  be  put  to 
shame;  behold,  I have  sent  this  kid,  but  you  have  not  found  her. 

i 3321.  22  I, it.,  consecrated,  i.  e. , a relirjious  -prostitute.  Although  translated  by  the  same 

English  word  in  the  current  versions,  the  Heb.  is  entirely  distinct  in  form  and  meaning  from  the 

term  found  in  16.  24.  Cf.  the  many  references  in  the  Hammurabi  Code  to  the  devotees  or  those 

consecrated  to  a god.  Not  until  much  later  times  was  the  moral  sense  of  the  East  aroused 

sufficiently  to  abolish  this  very  ancient  institution.  Cf.  Hos.  44,  Dt,  2317. 

125 


Gen.3824]  THE  JACOB  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Ac-  24Now  after  about  three  months  it  was  told  Judah:  Tamar  your  daughter- 

edgment  in-law  has  played  the  harlot,  and  moreover  she  is  also  with  child  by  whoredom, 
obiiga-  Then  Judah  said,  Bring  her  forth  and  let  her  be  burnt.  25But  when  she  was 
Tamar  brought  forth,  she  sent  to  her  father-in-law,  saying,  By  the  man  to  whom 
these  tilings  belong,  I am  with  child.  She  also  said,  See,  I pray  you,  whose 
these  are,  the  seal-ring  and  the  chain  and  staff.  26 When  Judah  recognized 
them,  he  said,  She  is  more  in  the  right  than  I,  inasmuch  as  I did  not  give  her 
to  Shelah  my  son.  But  he  did  not  enter  into  marital  relations  with  her  again. 
Birth  of  27Now  it  came  to  pass  in  the  time  of  her  travail  that  twins  were  in  her  womb, 
and  28 And  while  she  was  bringing  forth,  one  put  out  a hand  and  the  midwife  took 

e and  bound  upon  his  hand  a bright  red  thread,  saying,  This  came  out  first. 

29But  it  came  to  pass,  just  as  he  drew  back  his  hand,  that  his  brother  came 
out,  and  she  said,  What  a breach  you  have  made  for  yourself!  Therefore 
his  name  was  called  Perez  [Breach],  30 And  afterward  his  brother  came  out, 
who  had  the  bright  red  thread  upon  his  hand;  therefore  his  name  was  called 
Zerah  [Red]. 


Ill 

THE  JOSEPH  STORIES— MIGRATION  OF  CERTAIN  ISRAEL- 
ITISH  TRIBES  FROM  CANAAN  AND  THEIR  ESTABLISH- 
MENT IN  EGYPT,  Gen.  372b-36,  391-49la,28b-5028 


§ 45.  Joseph 


Sold  by  his  Brothers  into  Egypt,  Gen.  37sb"36 


Early  Judean 

Gen.  37  3Now 
Israel  loved  Joseph 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

37  2bJoseph  at  the  age  of  seventeen  was  a shepherd 
with  his  brothers  and  he  was  a lad  with  the  sons  of  Bil- 


The  Joseph  Stories. — As  might  be  inferred  from  their  theme  and  character,  the  Joseph 
stories  are  derived  almoet  entirely  from  the  prophetic  sources.  In  the  priestly  narratives, 
Joseph  figures  simply  as  the  one  who  brought  his  Hebrew  kinsmen  to  Egypt,  466ff.  The 
prophetic  versions  of  these  stories  current  in  Northern  Israel  and  Judah  varied  only  in  minor 
details.  The  characteristics  of  each  of  these  groups  of  narratives  are,  however,  clearly  marked. 
Thus,  for  example,  in  the  Judean,  Israel  is  the  name  of  the  common  ancestor  of  the  tribes;  in 
the  Ephraimite  it  is  Jacob.  In  the  first  Judah  figures  as  the  eldest:  in  the  second  Reuben.  In 
the  one  Joseph  is  sold  to  the  Ishmaelites;  in  the  other  to  the  Midianites.  In  the  one  he  is 
imprisoned;  in  the  other  apparently  not.  Dreams,  as  usual,  play  an  important  role  in  the 
Ephraimite  traditions.  With  the  aid  of  these  and  other  familiar  guides  it  is  possible  readily 
to  distinguish  the  different  strands.  The  amalgamation,  however,  is  sometimes  so  close  and 
the  different  versions  of  the  narratives  so  similar,  that  absolute  assurance  is  impossible  regard- 
ing the  classification  of  individual  verses  and  clauses.  Since  Joseph  was  the  traditional  an- 
cestor and  hero  especially  of  the  northern  tribes,  it  is  natural  that  the  Ephraimite  narratives 
should  be  the  more  complete;  but  since  he  was  the  ideal  type  of  the  successful  man  of  affairs, 
the  traditions  appealed  also  to  the  prophets  of  the  south,  who  preserved  an  almost  continuous 
parallel  cycle  of  stories. 

The  character  of  Joseph  is  portrayed  with  remarkable  consistency  in  both  groups  of  stories. 
At  best  he  was  the  spoiled  boy,  who  nevertheless  possessed  strong  and  lovable  qualities,  which 
only  varied  and  often  painful  experiences  could  bring  out.  The  different  stories  present  the 


§ 45  The  more  striking  evidences  that  two  narratives  have  here  been  closely  amalgamated 
are  the  name  Israel  in  373-  13,  and  Jacob  in  37u'  31 ; intervention  of  Judah  in  2B»  but  of  Reuben 
in  22.  cause  of  the  ill-will  of  the  brothers  in  8 is  Israel’s  partiality,  but  in  it  is  Joseph’s 
dreams;  inconsistency  between  25-27  and  28.  These  and  the  well-known  linguistic  peculiarities 
of  the  two  prophetic  sources  render  the  analysis  easy  and  give  two  complete  and  consistent 
versions  of  the  story. 


126 


Gen.373]  JOSEPH  SOLD  INTO  EGYPT  [Gen.  372b 


Early  Judean 

more  than  all  his 
other  children,  be- 
cause he  was  the 
son  of  his  old  age; 
and  he  had  made 
him  a long  tunic 
with  sleeves.  4 And 
when  his  brothers 
saw  that  their  fa- 
ther loved  him 
more  than  all  his 
other  sons,  they 
hated  him,  and 
could  not  speak  to 
him  in  a friendly 
manner. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

hah,  and  with  the  sons  of  Zilpah,  his  father’s  wives;  and 
Joseph  brought  an  evil  report  of  them  to  their  father. 

5 And  Joseph  had  a dream,  and  told  it  to  his  brothers, 
and  they  hated  him  still  more.  6 And  he  said  to  them, 
Hear,  I pray  you,  this  dream  which  I have  had;  7for  it 
seemed  to  me  that  we  were  binding  sheaves  in  the  field, 
and,  lo,  my  sheaf  arose  and  remained  standing,  while 
your  sheaves  surrounded  and  made  obeisance  to  my 
sheaf.  8And  his  brothers  said  to  him,  Will  you  assured- 
ly be  king  over  us  ? or  will  you  certainly  rule  over  us  ? 
So  they  hated  him  still  more  because  of  his  dreams  and 
his  words.  9Then  he  had  yet  another  dream,  and  told 
it  to  his  brothers,  saying,  Behold,  I have  had  another 
dream,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  sun  and  the  moon 
and  eleven  stars  made  obeisance  to  me.  10And  when  he 
told  it  to  his  father  and  his  brothers,  his  father  rebuked 
him,  and  said  to  him,  What  is  this  dream  that  you  have 
had  ? Shall  I and  your  mother  and  your  brothers  in- 
deed come  to  bow  ourselves  to  the  earth  before  you  ? 
11  And  his  brothers  envied  him;  but  his  father  kept  the 
thing  in  mind. 


12And  his  brothers 
went  to  pasture  his  fa- 
ther’s flocks  in  She- 
chem . 13Then  Israel 
said  to  Joseph,  Are  not 
your  brothers  pastur- 
ing the  flocks  in  She- 
chem  ? come  now  I will 
send  you  to  them.  14bSo 
he  sent  him  out  from 
the  valley  of  Hebron, 
and  he  came  to  She- 
chem. 


And  Jacob  called  Joseph,  and  he  replied,  Here 
am  I.  14aAnd  he  said  to  him,  Go  now,  see  whether 
it  is  well  with  your  brothers,  and  well  with  the 
flock,  and  bring  me  word  again.  15So  he  set  out, 
and  a certain  man  found  him  as  he  was  wandering 
in  the  field,  and  the  man  asked  him  saying,  What 
are  you  seeking  ? 16And  he  said,  I am  seeking  my 
brothers;  tell  me,  I pray  you,  where  they  are  pas- 
turing the  flock.  17 And  the  man  said,  They  have 
gone  from  this  place,  for  I heard  them  say,  ‘Let  us 
go  to  Dothan.’  So  Joseph  went  after  his  brothers 
and  found  them  in  Dothan. 


Especial- 
ly be- 
loved by 
his 

father 

and 

hated  by 
his 

brothers 


Sent  by 
his  fa- 
ther to 
visit  his 
brothers 
in  the 
north 


successive  tests  to  which  he  was  subjected.  They  reveal  his  fidelity,  generosity,  energy, 
good  judgment,  executive  ability,  and  tact.  In  him  all  the  qualities  which  make  for  success 
were  combined  in  superlative  measure.  Their  reward  was  also  superlative.  The  powerful 
effect  of  such  an  ideal,  constantly  held  up  before  the  eyes  of  the  Hebrew  youth,  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. The  supreme  literary  beauty  and  dramatic  charm  of  the  stories  added  not  a little 
to  their  effectiveness. 

That  the  character  of  Joseph  should  be  idealized,  as  the  stories  were  transmitted  from 
generation  to  generation,  was  inevitable  and  also  in  harmony  with  the  purpose  of  the  prophets 
who  gave  them  their  final  form.  Converging  lines  of  evidence,  however,  strongly  suggest  the 
probability  that  an  historical  character  stands  back  of  these  later  stories:  their  consistency 
and  the  close  agreement  between  the  parallel  versions;  the  many  faithful  reflections  of  Egyptian 
customs;  Egyptian  proper  names;  and  finally  the  fact  that  it  was  by  no  means  uncommon  for 
Semites  to  attain  to  positions  of  high  authority  in  the  Egyptian  court.  The  famous  Tell-el- 
Amarna  letters,  coming  from  the  fourteenth  century  b.c.,  contain  the  names  of  two  such 
officials.  One  of  them,  Yanhamu,  is  repeatedly  referred  to  and  appears  during  the  reign  of 
Amenophis  IV  to  have  had  the  ear  of  the  king  and  to  have  been  intrusted  with  almost  royal 
prerogatives. 


127 


Seized 

by  his 

brothers 

with 

malign 

intent 


Carried 
by  mer- 
chant- 
men to 
Egypt 


im- 
ported to 
nis 

heart- 
broken 
father  as 
dead 


Gen.  3718b] 


THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 


[Gen.  3718a 


Early  Judean 

18bB  u t before  he 
came  near  to  them,  [his 
brothers]  knavishly 
conspired  against  him 
to  slay  him.  21Reuben,a 
however,  when  he 
heard  it,  delivered  him 
from  their  hands,  and 
said,  Let  us  not  take 
his  life.  23Nevertheless 
when  Joseph  had  come 
to  his  brothers,  they 
stripped  Joseph  of  his 
long  tunic,  the  tunic 
with  sleeves  that  was 
on  him. 

25Then  they  sat  down  to  eat  bread,  and 
as  they  lifted  up  their  eyes  and  looked, 
behold  a caravan  of  Ishmaelites  was  com- 
ing from  Gilead,  and  their  camels  were 
loaded  with  spices  and  balsam  and  lada- 
num,  on  their  way  to  carry  it  down  to 
Egypt.  26Thereupon  Judah  said  to  his 
brothers,  "What  do  we  gain  if  we  kill  our 
brother  and  conceal  his  blood  ? 27Come, 
let  us  sell  him  to  the  Ishmaelites,  and  let 
not  our  hand  be  upon  him,  for  he  is  our 
brother,  our  flesh.  And  his  brothers  list- 
ened to  him,  28band  sold  Joseph  to  the 
Ishmaelites  for  twenty  pieces  of  silver. 
And  they  brought  Joseph  to  Egypt. 

32aThen  they  sent  the  tunic  with  sleeves 
to  their  father.  And  when  he  saw  it,  he 
said,  33bJoseph  is  without  doubt  torn  in 
pieces.  34bSo  he  mourned  for  his  son 
many  days.  35aAnd  all  his  sons  and  all 
his  daughters  rose  up  to  comfort  him,  but 
he  refused  to  be  comforted,  saying,  I shall 
go  down  to  Sheol  to  my  son  mourning. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

18aAnd  when  they  saw  him  in  the  distance,  19they 
said  one  to  another,  See,  here  comes  that  mas- 
ter-dreamer. 20Now  come,  let  us  slay  him,  and 
throw  him  into  one  of  the  cisterns,  and  then  we  will 
say,  A fierce  beast  has  devoured  him,  and  we  shall 
see  what  will  become  of  his  dreams.  22But  Reuben 
said  to  them,  Do  not  shed  blood;  throw  him  into 
this  cistern  that  is  in  the  wilderness,  but  do  not  lay 
hands  upon  him . He  said  this  that  he  might  deliver 
him  from  their  hands  to  restore  him  to  his  father. 
24Then  they  took  him,  and  threw  him  into  the 
cistern.  The  cistern,  however,  was  empty,  there 
being  no  water  in  it. 


28aNow  Midianite  merchant- 
men passed  by  and,  drawing  up 
Joseph,  they  lifted  him  out.  29So 
when  Reuben  returned  to  the 
cistern,  behold,  Joseph  was  not 
in  the  cistern.  Then  he  rent  his 
clothes,  30and  went  back  to  his 
brothers,  and  said,  The  child  is 
not  there;  and  I,  where  shall  I 
go? 


31Thereupon  they  took  Joseph’s 
coat,  and  killed  a he-goat  and 
dipping  the  coat  in  the  blood, 
32bthey  brought  it  to  their  father, 
saying,  We  found  this;  see 
whether  it  is  your  son’s  coat  or 
not.  33aAnd  he  recognized  it 
and  said,  It  is  my  son’s  coat! 
a fierce  beast  has  devoured  him! 
34aThen  Jacob  rent  his  garments, 
and  put  sackcloth  on  his  loins. 
35bThus  his  father  wept  for  him. 


» 3721  This  verse  is  clearly  the  Judean  parallel  to  22 , and  in  this  narrative  Judah  figures  as  the 
eldest.  It  seems  probable  that  his  name  appeared  here  originally  and  that  the  name  of  Reuben 
was  later  substituted  to  harmonize  21  with  21.  Cf.  Introd.,  p.  34. 

128 


Gen.391]  JOSEPH  SOLD  INTO  EGYPT  [Gen.  3736 


Early  Judean 

89 1 Joseph,  however,  was  brought  down 
to  Egypt,  and  Potiphar,  an  officer  of  Pharaoh, 
the  chief  executioner, b an  Egyptian,  bought 
him  from  the  Ishmaelites  who  hadbrought 
him  there. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 
Narratives 

36The  Midianites,  however, 
sold  him  in  Egypt  to  Potiphar, 
the  chief  executioner,  an  officer 
of  Pharaoh. 


§ 46.  Joseph  Tempted  and  Proved,  Gen.  39s-55 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  39  2Now  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph  so  that  he  became  a prosperous 
man,  and  was  in  the  house  of  his  master  the  Egyptian.  3When  his  master 
saw  that  Jehovah  was  with  him,  and  that  Jehovah  always  caused  everything 
that  he  did  to  prosper  in  his  hands,  4 Joseph  found  favor  in  his  eyes  as  he 
ministered  to  him,  so  that  he  made  him  overseer  of  his  house,  and  all  that 
he  had  he  put  into  his  charge.  5Then  it  came  to  pass  from  the  time  that  he 
made  him  overseer  in  his  house,  and  over  all  that  he  had,  that  Jehovah  blessed 
the  Egyptian’s  house  for  Joseph’s  sake,  and  the  blessing  of  Jehovah  was  upon 
all  that  he  had  in  the  house  and  in  the  field.  6 So  he  intrusted  all  that  he  had 
to  Joseph’s  charge,  and  had  no  knowledge  of  anything  that  he  hadc  except  the 
bread  which  he  ate. 

Now  Joseph  was  handsome  in  form  and  appearance.  7 And  it  came  to 
pass  after  these  things,  that  his  master’s  wife  cast  her  eyes  upon  Joseph;  and 
she  said,  Lie  with  me.  8But  he  refused,  saying  to  his  master’s  wife,  Behold 
my  master  has  no  knowledge  of  what  is  with  me  in  the  house,  and  he  has  put 
all  that  he  has  into  my  charge;  9he  is  not  greater  in  this  house  than  I;  neither 
has  he  kept  back  anything  from  me  but  you,  because  you  are  his  wife;  how 
then  can  I do  this  great  wickedness  and  sin  against  God?  10And  although 
she  talked  thus  to  Joseph  daily,  he  did  not  listen  to  her,  to  lie  with  her  or  to  be 
with  her.  nBut  once  about  this  time  when  he  went  into  the  house  to  do  his 
work,  when  none  of  the  men  of  the  household  were  at  home,  12she  caught 
hold  of  his  garment, d saying,  lie  with  me ; but  he  left  his  garment  in  her  hand 
and  fled  out  of  the  house. 

13 And  it  came  to  pass  when  she  saw  that  he  had  left  his  garment  in  her 
hand  and  had  fled  away,  14she  called  to  the  men  of  her  household,  and  said 
to  them,  See,  he  has  brought  a Hebrew  in  to  us  to  insult  us.  He  came  to  me 
to  lie  with  me,  and  I cried  with  a loud  voice,  lsand  it  came  to  pass,  when  he 
heard  me  crying  out  loudly,  he  laft  his  garment  with  me  and  fled  out  of  the 

b 39x  Probably  a note  added  by  a later  editor  who  wished  to  harmonize  the  Judean  with 
the  Ephraimite  parallel.  Cf.  note  § 46. 

§ 46  This  story,  the  outlines  of  which  appear  in  the  ancient  Egyptian  tale  of  the  “Two 
Brothers/*  is  obviously  a literary  unit.  The  prevailing  use  of  the  name  Jehovah , cf.  2« 

2I*  23 , and  the  other  linguistic  peculiarities  indicate  that  it  is  from  the  Judean  source. 
In  the  Ephraimite  narratives  Joseph  is  sold  to  Potiphar,  the  chief  executioner,  presumably  a 
eunuch,  whose  slave  he  becomes.  As  in  40,  it  is  in  the  house  of  his  master  that  the  king’s 
baker  and  cupbearer  are  imprisoned,  and  served  by.  Joseph.  In  the  Judean  narratives  he  is 
bought  by  a married  Egyptian  and  subsequently  himself  imprisoned  because  of  his  fidelity. 
Potiphera  is  the  name  of  the  father  of  the  woman  whom  Pharaoh  later  gave  to  him  as  a wife,  4145. 

c 39®  Heb.,  he  knew  not  anything  with  him.  It  is  not  clear  to  whom  the  him  refers;  if  to 
Joseph,  the  statement  would  mean  that  he  left  everything  to  Joseph’s  care. 

d 3912  Heb.,  caught  him  by  his  garment. 


Sold  as  a 
slave  to 
an  Egyp- 
tian 
master 


In- 
trusted 
by  his 
master 
with  the 
care  of 
his  en- 
tire 
house- 
hold 


Repeat- 
edly 
tempted 
by  his 
master’s 
wife 


Falsely 
charged 
by  her 
with  in- 
fidelity 


129 


Impris- 
oned by 
his  mas- 
ter 


Favored 
and 
trusted 
by  his 
jailer 


As- 
signed 
to  two 
official 
prison- 
ers 


His  offer 
to  inter- 
pret 
their 
dreams 


Gen.3915]  THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

house.  16And  she  kept  his  garment  by  her  until  his  master  came  home; 
When  she  told  him  the  same  story ,e  saying,  The  Hebrew  servant  whom  you 
have  brought  to  us,  came  to  me  to  insult  me;  18but  it  came  to  pass  that  when  I 
lifted  up  my  voice  and  cried,  he  left  his  garment  with  me  and  lied  away. 

19Then  it  came  to  pass  when  his  master  heard  the  statements  of  his  wife 
which  she  made  to  him,  saying,  After  this  manner  your  servant  did  to  me, 
that  he  was  very  angry, f 20and  Joseph’s  master  took  him  and  put  him  into  the 
prison, — the  place  where  the  king’s  prisoners  were  bound.  Thus  he  was 
there  in  prison. 

21But  Jehovah  was  with  Joseph  and  showed  kindness  to  him,  and  made 
him  a favorite  with5  the  keeper  of  the  prison,  22so  that  the  keeper  of  the 
prison  committed  to  Joseph’s  charge  all  the  prisoners  who  were  in  the  prison, 
and  for  whatever  they  did  there  he  was  responsible.11  23The  keeper  of  the 
prison  did  not  attend  to  anything  that  was  in  his  charge,  because  Jehovah  was 
with  Joseph,  and  whatever  he  did,  Jehovah  always  caused  it  to  prosper. 

§ 47.  Joseph’s  Fame  as  an  Interpreter  of  Dreams,  Gen.  41 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  40  xNow  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things  that  the  cupbearer* 1  of  the 
king  of  Egypt  and  his  baker  offended  their  lord  the  king  of  Egypt,  2so  that 
Pharaoh  was  angry  with  his  two  officers,  the  chief  of  the  cupbearers  and  the 
chief  of  the  bakers,  3and  imprisoned  them  in  the  house  of  the  chief  execu- 
tioner, in  the  same  prison  where-)  Joseph  was  confined.  4And  the  captain  of  the 
guard  assigned  Joseph  to  wait  on  them;  and  they  remained  in  confinement 
for  some  time.k 

5Meanwhile  the  king  of  Egypt’s  cupbearer  and  baker,  who  were  confined  in 
prison,  both  in  the  same  night  had  a dream,  each  of  peculiar  significance.1 
6Therefore  when  Joseph  came  in  to  them  in  the  morning,  he  saw  plainly  that 
they  were  sad.  7So  he  asked  Pharaoh’s  officers  who  were  imprisoned  with 
him  in  his  master’s  house,  saying,  Why  do  you  look  so  sad  to-day?  8And 
they  said  to  him,  We  have  had  a dream,  and  there  is  no  one  who  can  interpret 
it.  Then  Joseph  said  to  them,  Does  not  the  interpretation  of  dreams  belong 
to  God  ? tell  it  to  me,  I pray  you. 


e 3917  Heb.,  spoke  to  him  according  to  these  words. 

1 3919  Heb.,  his  wrath  was  kindled. 

s 3921  Heb.,  gave  him  favor  in  the  sight  of. 

h S922  Heb.,  whatever  they  did  there , he  was  the  doer  of  it. 

§ 47  Expressions  like  after  these  things,  and  chief  executioner,  are  the  water-marks  which 
indicate  that  the  story  as  a whole  is  from  the  Ephraimite  source.  The  traces  of  a Judean  paral- 
lel may  be  found  in  lb. 3b - 5b. 16b  or  else  they  are  harmonistic  additions.  In  the  original  Ephraim- 
ite tradition  Joseph  is  not  sold  from  his  home  but  stolen,  37128'  36 , and  as  the  slave  of  the  chief 
executioner,  not  as  a prisoner,  ministers  to  those  in  the  keeping  of  his  master. 

■ 401  Heb.,  means  one  who  attended  not  to  the  food,  but  to  what  was  drunk  by  the  king 
and  his  guests. 

i 403  Heb.,  in  the  prison  the  place  where.  Probably  a harmonistic  gloss. 

k 404  Heb.,  days. 

1 405  Heb.,  And  they  dreamed  a dream  both  of  them,  each  man  his  dream,  in  one  night,  each 
man  according  to  the  interpretation  of  his  dream,  the  butler  and  the  baker  of  the  king  of  Egypt,  who 
were  bound  in  the  prison.  The  verbosity  and  awkwardness  of  the  sentence  is  probably  due  to 

the  amalgamation  of  two  parallel  stories. 


130 


JOSEPH  AS  AN  INTERPRETER  OF  DREAMS  [Gen.  409 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

9Then  the  chief  cupbearer  told  his  dream  to  Joseph,  and  said  to  him.  In  Thecup- 
my  dream  I seemed  to  see  a vine  before  me,  10and  on  the  vine  three  branches,  dream8 
and  it  was  as  though  it  budded,  it  put  out  blossoms  and  its  clusters  brought  fnterpre- 
forth  ripe  grapes.  11  And  Pharaoh’s  cup  was  in  my  hand,  and  I took  the  grapes  tatl0“ 
and  pressed  them  into  Pharaoh’s  cup,  and  gave  the  cup  into  Pharaoh’s  hand. 

12Then  Joseph  said  to  him,  This  is  the  interpretation  of  it:  the  three  branches 
are  three  days;  13within  three  days  shall  Pharaoh  lift  up  your  headm  and 
restore  you  to  your  position,  and  you  shall  give  Pharaoh’s  cup  into  his  hand 
as  you  used  to  do  when  you  were  his  cupbearer."  14But  may  you  keep  me  in 
remembrance  when  it  is  well  with  you,  and  may  you  show  kindness  to  me  and 
make  mention  of  me  to  Pharaoh,  and  bring  me  out  of  this  house;  15for  I was 
unjustly  stolen  from  the  land  of  the  Hebrews,  and  here  also  I have  done  nothing 
that  they  should  put  me  into  the  dungeon.0 

16When  the  chief  baker  saw  that  the  interpretation  was  favorable,  he  said  to  J[jfer,g 
Joseph,  I also  saw  in  my  dream,  and,  behold,  three  baskets  of  white  bread 
were  on  my  head,  17and  in  the  uppermost  basket  there  were  all  kinds  of  baked 
food  for  Pharaoh;  and  the  birds  were  eating  them  out  of  the  basket  upon  my 
head.  18And  Joseph  answered  and  said,  This  is  its  interpretation:  the 
three  baskets  are  three  days;  19within  three  days  Pharaoh  will  take  off  your 
head,P  and  hang  you  on  a tree,  and  the  birds  shall  eat  your  flesh  from  off  you. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  the  third  day,  which  was  Pharaoh’s  birthday,  that  he  Their 
made  a feast  for  all  his  servants.  Then  he  lifted  up  the  head  of  the  chief  ment 
cupbearer  and  the  head  of  the  chief  baker  among  his  servants.  21  And  he 
restored  the  chief  cupbearer  to  his  office  so  that  he  again  gave  the  cup  into 
Pharaoh’s  hand.  22The  chief  baker,  however,  he  hanged,  as  Joseph  had 
interpreted  to  them. 

23Yet  the  chief  cupbearer  did  not  remember  Joseph,  but  forgot  him.  tmferf" 

the  cup- 

§ 48.  Joseph’s  Interpretation  of  Pharaoh’s  Dreams,  Gen.  411-36 
Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  41 1 Now  it  came  to  pass  after  two  full  years,  that  Pharaoh  had  a dream 
in  which  he  seemed  to  be  standing  by  the  Nile  2and  to  see  coming  up  from  the  dreams 
Nile  seven  cows,  sleek  and  fat ,3  which  had  been  feeding  in  the  reed  grass. 

3Then  he  seemed  to  see  seven  other  cows  coming  up  after  them  out  of  the 
Nile,  bad-looking  and  lean,r  and  standing  by  the  other  cows  on  the  bank  of  the 
Nile.  4And  the  bad-looking  cows  ate  the  seven  sleek,  fat  cows.  Then 
Pharaoh  awoke.  5Afterward  he  slept  and  had  a second  dream,  and  he 


m 4013  I.e.,  take  you  from  prison. 

D 4013  Heb.,  after  the  former  manner. 

0 4o1Jb  Another  trace  of  the  Judean  version  of  the  story. 

P 4019  Heb.,  lift  up  your  head  from  off  you. 

§ 48  The  account  of  Pharaoh’s  dreams  is  a continuation  of  40  and  is  from  the  same  source. 
Cf.  explicit  statement  in  12  that  Joseph  is  the  servant  of  the  chief  executioner.  Traces  of  the 
Judean  parallel  are  discernible  in  14b'  31  • 3c  ^b.  Vss.  30  and  31  are  obvious  parallels.  Also  f3 
and  34'  360  and  3:1  h . Two  versions  are  also  implied  in  the  latter  part  of  41.  The  Judean  tradi- 
tion is  so  fragmentary,  however,  that  it  is  impossible  to  restore  it  in  its  original  form.  It  was 
probably  very  similar  to  the  Ephraimite. 

1 412  Heb.,  fair  in  form  and  fat  in  flesh. 

1 413  Heb.,  evil  in  form  and  lean  in  flesh. 


131 


Failure 
of  his 
wise 
men  to 
interpret 
them 


The  cup- 
bearer’s 
testi- 
mony to 
Joseph’s 
skill  as 
an  inter- 
preter 


Joseph 

before 

Pharaoh 


Repeti- 
tion of 
Pha- 
raoh’s 
dreams 


Joseph’s 
interpre- 
tation 
of  them 


Gen.  415]  THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 

Early  Eph minute  Prophetic  Narratives 

seemed  to  see  seven  good  ears  of  grain  growing  on  one  stalk.  6Also  lie  seemed 
to  see  seven  ears,  thin  and  blasted  by  the  east  wind,  springing  up  after  them. 
'And  the  thin  ears  swallowed  up  the  seven  plump,  full  ears.  Then  Pharaoh 
awoke,  and,  behold,  it  was  a dream. 

8And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  morning  that  his  spirit  was  troubled,  and  he 
sent  and  summoned  all  the  sacred  scribes  and  wise  men  of  Egypt;  and 
Pharaoh  told  them  his  dreams,  but  there  was  no  one  who  could  interpret  them 
to  Pharaoh. 

9Then  the  chief  cupbearer  spoke  to  Pharaoh  saying,  My  sins  I now  recall: 
10Pharaoh  was  very  angry  with  his  servants,  and  imprisoned  me  and  the 
chief  baker  in  the  house  of  the  chief  executioner;  nand  we  both  had  a dream 
the  same  night,  each  having  a dream  of  peculiar  significance.  12And  there 
with  us  was  a Hebrew  youth,  a servant  of  the  chief  executioner;  and  we  told 
him  and  he  interpreted  to  us  our  dreams,  to  each  man  differently  according  to 
his  dream.  13And  exactly  as  he  interpreted  our  dreams  to  us  so  they  came  to 
pass:  me  they  restored  to  my  office,  and  him  they  hanged. 

14Then  Pharaoh  sent  and  summoned  Joseph,  and  they  brought  him  hastily 
out  of  the  dungeon;  and  he  shaved  himself  and  changed  his  clothes  and 
came  to  Pharaoh.  lsAnd  Pharaoh  said  to  Joseph  I have  had  a dream,  and 
there  is  no  one  who  can  interpret  it.  Now  I have  heard  it  said  of  you  that 
when  you  hear  a dream,  you  can  interpret  it.  16And  Joseph  answered  Pha- 
raoh, saying,  Not  I;  God  alone  will  give  Pharaoh  a favorable  answer.8 

17Then  Pharaoh  said  to  Joseph,  In  my  dream  as  I was  standing  on  the  bank 
of  the  Nile,  18I  saw  seven  cows,  fat  and  sleek  which  had  been  feeding  in  the 
reed  grass.  19Then  I seemed  to  see  coming  up  after  them  seven  more  cows, 
thin,  bad-looking  and  lean,  worse  than  I ever  saw*  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt; 
20and  the  lean  and  bad-looking  cows  ate  the  first  seven  fat  cows;  21and  when 
they  had  eaten  them  up,  one  could  not  tell  that  they  had  eaten  them,  for 
they  were  still  as  bad-looking  as  at  the  beginning.  Then  I awoke.  22 Again 
I dreamed  and  seemed  to  see  coming  up  on  one  stalk  seven  ears,  full  and 
good;  23and  then  seven  ears,  withered,  thin,  blasted  with  the  east  wind, 
sprang  up  after  them;  24and  the  thin  ears  swallowed  up  the  seven  good  ears. 
And  I have  told  it  to  the  magicians,  but  there  is  no  one  who  can  inform  me 
regarding  it. 

25Then  Joseph  said  to  Pharaoh,  What  Pharaoh  has  dreamed  signifies  the 
same  thing  ;u  what  God  is  about  to  do  he  hath  declared  to  Pharaoh.  26The 
seven  good  cows  are  seven  years,  and  the  seven  good  ears  are  seven  years. 
It  is  one  and  the  same  dream.v  27 And  the  seven  lean  and  ugly  cows  that 
came  up  after  them  are  seven  years,  and  also  the  seven  empty  ears  blasted 
with  the  east  wind  shall  be  seven  years  of  famine.  28That  is  why  I said  to 
Pharaoh,  What  God  is  about  to  do  he  hath  showed  to  Pharaoh.  29Behold, 
there  are  coming  seven  years  of  great  plenty  throughout  the  land  of  Egypt, 


8 41lfi  Heb.,  answer  of  peace. 

4 41 19  Heb.,  such  as  I never  saw  . . . for  badness, 

u 4125  Heb.,  the  dream  of  Pharaoh  is  one. 

* 4 125  Heb.,  the  dream  is  one. 

132 


THE  INTERPRETATION  OF  PHARAOH’S  DREAMS  [Gen.4130 
Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

30and  there  shall  be  after  them  seven  years  of  famine,  so  that  all  the  plenty 
shall  be  forgotten  in  the  land  of  Egypt;  and  the  famine  shall  consume  the 
land ; 31and  the  plenty  shall  not  be  known  in  the  land  by  reason  of  that  famine  which 
follows;  for  it  shall  be  very  severe.  32 As  for  the  fact  that  the  dream  came 
twice  to  Pharaoh,  it  is  because  the  thing  is  established  by  God,  and  God  will 
shortly  bring  it  to  pass.  33Now  therefore  let  Pharaoh  choose  a man  discreet 
and  wise,  and  set  him  over  the  land  of  Egypt.  34Let  Pharaoh  take  action  and 
appoint  overseers  over  the  land  and  take  up  the  fifth  part  of  the  produce  of  Egypt  in  the  seven 
plenteous  years.  35 And  let  them  gather  all  the  food  of  these  good  years 
that  come,  and  lay  up  grain  under  the  authority  of  Pharaoh  for  food  in  the  cities, 
and  let  them  keep  it.  36 And  the  food  shall  be  a provision  for  the  land  against 
the  seven  years  of  famine  which  shall  be  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  that  the  land 
may  not  perish  because  of  the  famine. 

37 And  the  plan  pleased  w Pharaoh  and  all  his  servants.  38 And  Pharaoh  said  to 
his  servants,  Can  we  find  one  like  this,  a man  in  whom  is  the  spirit  of  God  ? 


§ 49.  Joseph  made  Governor  of  Egypt,  Gen.  4139'57 


Early  Judean 

Gen.  41  41  Then  Pharaoh  said  to  Joseph,  See, 
I have  appointed  you  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 
42And  Pharaoh  took  off  his  signet  ring  from  his 
fingerx  and  put  it  upon  Joseph’s  finger,x  and 
clothed  him  in  garments  of  fine  linen,  and  put  a 
gold  chain  about  his  neck,  43and  made  him  ride 
in  the  second  chariot  which  he  had.  Then  they 
cried  before  him,  Bow  the  knee!2  Thus  he  set 
him  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  44Pharaoh  also 
said  to  Joseph,  I remain  Pharaoh,  but  without 
your  consent  shall  no  man  lift  up  his  hand  or  his 
foot  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  45Pharaoh  also 
called  Joseph’s  name  Zaphenath-paneah,  and 
gave  him  as  a wife  Asenath,  the  daughter  of 
Potiphera,  priest  of  On. 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 
41 39Then  Pharaoh  said 
to  Joseph,  Inasmuch  as 
God  hath  showed  you  all 
this,  there  is  no  one  so  dis- 
creet and  wise  as  you. 
40You  shall  be  over  my 
house,  and  to  your  word 
shall  all  my  people  give 
heedy;  only  in  respect  to 
the  throne  will  I be  greater 
than  you.  46 And  Joseph 
was  thirty  years  old  when  he 
stood  before  Pharaoh  king  of 
Egypt.* 1 


And  Joseph  went  out 
over  the  land  of  Egypt, 


So  Joseph  went  out  from  the  presence  of  Pha- 
raoh, and  went  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 


* 4137  Heb.,  The  thing  was  good  in  the  eyes  of. 

§ 49  Minor  inconsistencies  reveal  the  presence  of  two  distinct  stories.  Thus  40  and  41-44  are 
parallels.  Vs.  4,1  h is  unnecessary  and  unnatural  after  45b,  which  states  the  same  fact.  Vs.  ib* 
apparently  contains  a different  tradition  regarding  Potiphar,  cf.  37x.  The  exact  analysis  is 
not  certain,  for  the  criteria  are  few.  The  statement  that  Joseph  was  made  ruler  over  the  house 
of  Pharaoh  is  characteristic  of  the  Ephraimite  narratives.  The  name  of  the  Deity  in  38 . 3(1  ■ sl.  62 
indicates  that  these  verses  are  from  the  same  source.  The  idiom,  began  to,  in  64  is  found  only 
in  the  Judean.  Vs.  “*  contains  the  same  expression  as  Gen.  1210,  which  is  also  from  this  strand. 

1 4142  Heb.,  hand. 

y 4140  The  meaning  of  the  Heb.  verb,  in  the  sense  in  which  it  is  here  used,  is  not  exactly 
known.  The  idiom  seems  to  be  lit.,  according  to  your  word  (Heb.,  mouth)  shall  my  people 
dispose  themselves . 

1 4143  Heb.,  Abrek.  Possibly  a Semitic  word  which  has  been  Egyptized. 

* 414"  This  verse  is  in  the  style  of  the  priestly  writers  and  reveals  an  interest  in  exact  dates 
which  is  foreign  to  the  prophetic  narratives. 

1 33 


Given 
honor 
and  au- 
thority 
second 
only  to 
that  of 
Pharaoh 


THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 


[Gen.  4147 


ffis  pro- 
visions 
for  the 
famine 


The 
seven 
years  of 
famine 


Acquisi- 
tion of 
all  the 
money 
of  Egypt 
for  Pha- 
raoh 


All  the 
herds 


Gen.  4 148] 


Early  Judean 

48and  gathered  up  all  the 
food  of  the  seven  full0 
years,  which  were  in  the 
land  of  Egypt,  and  stored 
the  food  in  the  cities, 
putting  in  each  city  the 
products  of  the  fields 
about  it. 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

47Then  in  the  seven  plenteous  years  the  earth 
brought  forth  bountifully.13  49 And  Joseph  laid 
up  grain,  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  in  great  quanti- 
ties, until  he  ceased  to  keep  account,  because  it 
could  not  be  measured. 

50 And  to  Joseph  were  born  two  sons  before  His  two 
the  year  of  famine  came,  whom  Asenath,  the  sous 
daughter  of  Potiphera  priest  of  On,  bore  to  him. 

51  And  Joseph  called  the  name  of  the  first-born 
Manasseh  [Forgetting] : For,  said  he,  God  hath 
made  me  forget  all  my  misfortune,  and  all  my 
father’s  house.  52 And  the  name  of  the  second  he 
called  Ephraim  [Very  fruitful] : For,  said  he,  God 
hath  made  me  fruitful  in  the  land  of  my  affliction. 


54and  the  seven  years  of  famine  began  to 
come,  just  as  Joseph  had  said.  55And 
when  all  the  land  of  Egypt  was  famished, 
the  people  cried  to  Pharaoh  for  bread,  and 
Pharaoh  said  to  all  the  Egyptians,  Go  to 
Joseph;  and  do  what  he  tells  you.  56And 
when  the  famine  was  upon  all  the  earth, 
Joseph  opened  all  the  storehouses  and  sold 
to  the  Egyptians.  But  the  famine  was 
severe  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 


53When  the  seven  years  of 
plenty  which  had  been  in  the 
land  of  Egypt  came  to  an  end, 
54bthere  was  famine  in  all 
lands,  but  in  all  the  land  of 
Egypt  there  was  bread.  57 And 
all  the  world  came  to  Egypt 
to  Joseph  to  buy  grain,  be- 
cause the  famine  was  severe 
in  all  the  world. 


§ 50.  Joseph’s  Policy  During  the  Famine,  Gen.  4713-26 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  47  13And  there  was  no  bread  in  all  the  land,  since  the  famine  was  very 
severe,  so  that  the  land  of  Egypt  and  the  land  of  Canaan  languished  because  of 
the  famine.  14And  Joseph  gathered  in  all  the  money  that  was  found  in  the 
land  of  Egypt,  and  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  for  the  grain  which  they  bought;  and 
Joseph  brought  the  money  into  Pharaoh’s  house. 

15And  when  the  money  was  all  spent  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  in  the  land 
of  Canaan,  all  the  Egyptians  came  to  Joseph,  and  said,  Give  us  bread;  for 
why  should  we  die  before  your  eyes,  because  our  money  fails?  16Then 
Joseph  said.  Give  your  cattle,  and  I will  give  you  graind  for  your  cattle,  if 
money  has  failed.  17So  they  brought  their  cattle  to  Joseph,  and  Joseph  gave 
them  bread  in  exchange  for  the  horses,  the  flocks  of  sheep,  and  herds  of  cattle 


b 4147  Heb.,  by  handfuls. 

0 41<s  Supplied  by  Gk.  It  probably  has  been  lost  from  the  existing  Heb.  texts.  Cf.  s. 

§ 50  This  section  records  the  carrying  out  of  Joseph’s  counsel  in  4134.  It  is  obviously  out 
of  place  in  the  midst  of  the  account  of  Joseph’s  fidelity  to  his  kinsmen  and  breaks  the  connection 
between  12  and  27a.  The  classification  of  the  narrative  is  not  absolutely  certain.  Expressions 
like,  that  we  may  live  and  not  die,  in  19  (cf.  422,  438),  my  lord  in  ls-  B,  and  find  favor  in  the  sight  of 
in  25  point  to  the  Judean  source. 

<*  4718  Gk.,  Sam.,  and  Lat.  supply  grain,  which  is  wanting  in  the  Heb. 

134 


JOSEPH’S  POLICY  DURING  THE  FAMINE  [Gen.  4717 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

and  the  asses.  Thus  for  that  year  he  sustained  them  with  bread  in  exchange 
for  all  their  cattle. 

18And  when  that  year  was  ended,  they  came  to  him  the  second  year,  and  Aiithe 
said  to  him.  We  do  not  hide  it  from  my  lord,  now  that  our  money  is  all  spent;  ceptufat 
and  even  the  herds  of  cattle  are  my  lord’s;  there  is  nothing  left  to  give  to  my  priests 
lorde  but  our  bodies  and  our  lands.  19Why  should  we  perish  before  your 
eyes,  both  we  and  our  land?  take  possession  of  us  and  our  land  in  return  for 
bread,  and  we  and  our  land  will  become  personal  possessions  of  Pharaoh ; and 
give  us  seed,  that  we  may  live,  and  not  die,  so  that  the  land  may  not  become 
desolate.  20So  Joseph  bought  all  the  land  of  Egypt  for  Pharaoh;  for  the 
Egyptians  sold  every  man  his  field,  because  the  famine  was  severe  upon  them. 

Thus  the  land  became  Pharaoh’s.  21  And  as  for  the  people,  he  reduced  them 
to  servitude1  from  one  end  of  Egypt  even  to  the  other.  22Only  the  land  of 
the  priests  he  did  not  buy,  because  the  priests  had  a definite  allowance  from 
Pharaoh,  and  ate  their  portion  which  Pharaoh  gave  them;  hence  they  did 
not  sell  their  land. 

23Then  Joseph  said  to  the  people,  Behold,  I have  bought  you  and  your  land  Estab- 
to-day  for  Pharaoh.  Here  is  seed  for  you,  and  you  shall  sow  the  land,  of  aper* * * § 
24 And  at  the  ingatherings  you  shall  give  a fifth  to  Pharaoh,  and  four  parts  taxnent 
shall  be  your  own,  for  seed  for  the  field,  and  for  your  food,  and  for  those  of 
your  households,  and  for  food  for  your  little  ones.  25And  they  said,  You  have 
saved  our  lives;  let  us  find  favor  in  the  sight  of  my  lord,  and  we  will  be  Pha- 
raoh’s servants.  26Thus  Joseph  made  it  a statute  concerning  the  land  of 
Egypt  to  this  day,  that  Pharaoh  should  have  the  fifth;  only  the  land  of  the 
priests  did  not  come  into  the  possession  of  Pharaoh. 

§ 51.  Joseph’s  First  Meeting  with  his  Brothers,  Gen.  421-37,  4314 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  42  xNow  when  Jacob  saw  that  there  was  grain6  for  sale  in  Egypt,  Journey 
Jacob  said  to  his  sons,  Why  do  you  stand  looking  at  each  other?  2And  he  seph°s 
said,  Behold,  I have  heard  that  there  is  grain6  for  sale  in  Egypt;  go  down  there  to  Egypt 
and  buy  for  us  from  thence,  that  we  may  live  and  not  die.  3So  Joseph’s  ten 
brothers  went  down  to  buy  grain  from  Egypt.  4But  Benjamin,  Joseph’s 
brother,  Jacob  did  not  send  with  his  brothers;  for  he  said,  Lest  harm  befall 
him.  5Thus  the  sons  of  Israel  came  among  others  to  buy  grain;  for  the 
famine  was  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

6Now  Joseph  was  the  governor  over  the  land;  he  it  was  who  sold  to  all  the 


• 4718  Heb.,  in  the  sight  of  my  lord. 

{ 4721  Heb.,  and  the  people  be  caused  to  pass  over  to  the  towns,  making  a slight  emendation  so 

as  to  conform  to  the  text  preserved  in  the  Gk.  and  Sam.,  the  passage  reads  as  above. 

§ 51  The  reference  to  dreams  in  9,  the  prominence  of  Reuben  in  22  ■ 37,  and  the  use  of  the  terms 
God  and  Jacob  (not  Israel)  in  28b.  29  indicate  that  the  story  as  a whole  is  from  the  Ephraimite 
source.  4314  is  also  part  of  the  same  narrative,  as  is  shown  by  the  presence  of  the  same  char- 
acteristics. Traces  of  a Judean  parallel  may  be  found  in  2>  5-  27 • 2Sa.  Note  in  2 the  expression 
live  andnot  die,  and  Israel  in  5.  Vss.  27 • 28  a cannot  be  reconciled  with  3S.  Vs.  2sb  has  apparently 
been  displaced  in  the  process  of  amalgamation  from  its  original  position  after  35. 

e 421.  2 The  Heb.  word  always  means  grain  as  an  article  of  merchandise.  In  423  the  ordinary 
word,  meaning  simply  grain,  is  used. 


135 


Gen.  426]  THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

ms  first  people  of  the  land.  Therefore  Joseph’s  brothers  came  and  bowed  themselves 
view  before  him  with  their  faces  to  the  earth.  "And  when  Joseph  saw  his  brothers 
them  he  knew  them,  but  he  acted  as  a stranger  towards  them  and  talked  harshly  to 
them,  and  said.  Whence  do  you  come?  And  they  said,  From  the  land  of 
Canaan  to  buy  food.  8Thus  Joseph  knew  his  brothers,  but  they  did  not  know 
him.  9Then  Joseph  remembered  the  dreams  which  he  had  had  about  them 
and  said  to  them.  You  are  spies  come  to  see  the  defenselessness  of  the  land. 
10 And  they  said  to  him,  No,  my  lord,  but  your  servants  have  come  to  buy  food. 
nWe  are  all  one  man’s  sons;  we  are  honest  men;  your  servants  are  not  spies. 
12But  he  said  to  them,  Nay,  to  see  the  defenselessness  of  the  land  you  have 
come.  13They  replied,  We  your  servants  are  twelve  brothers,  the  sons  of 
one  man  in  the  land  of  Canaan;  and,  behold,  the  youngest  is  to-day  with  our 
father,  and  one  is  no  more.  14And  Joseph  said  to  them,  It  is  just  as  I said 
to  you,  ‘You  are  spies.  ’ 15By  this  you  shall  be  proved : as  sure  as  Pharaoh  lives 
you  shall  not  go  from  here  unless  your  youngest  brother  comes  hither.  16Send 
one  of  you,  and  let  him  bring  your  brother,  while  you  remain  in  confinement, 
that  your  words  may  be  proved,  whether  or  not  there  be  truth  in  you.  Or 
else,  as  sure  as  Pharaoh  lives,  you  are  indeed  spies.  17And  he  put  them  all 
together  into  prison  for  three  days. 

The  sec-  18Then  Joseph  said  to  them  the  third  day,  This  do,  and  live;  for  I likewise 
terview  fear  God.  19If  you  are  true  men,  let  one  of  your  brothers  remain  bound  in 
your  prison-house;  but  you  go,  carry  grain  for  the  needs  of  your  households, 
20and  bring  your  youngest  brother  to  me.  So  shall  your  words  be  verified, 
and  you  shall  not  die.  And  they  did  so.  21  And  they  said  to  each  other, 
Truly  we  are  guilty  in  regard  to  our  brother,  in  that  when  we  saw  the  distress 
of  his  soul,  while  he  was  beseeching  us  for  pity,  we  would  not  hear;  therefore 
this  distress  has  come  upon  us.  22But  Reuben  also  answered  them,  saying, 
Did  I not  say  to  you,  ‘Do  not  sin  against  the  boy,’  but  you  would  not  listen? 
therefore  now  also  his  blood  is  required.  23And  they  did  not  know  that 
Joseph  understood  them,  for  he  had  spoken  to  them  through  an  interpreter. 
24He,  however,  turned  himself  about  from  them  and  wept;  then  he  returned 
to  them,  and  spoke  to  them  and  took  Simeon  from  among  them,  and  bound 
him  before  their  eyes.  25Then  Joseph  commanded  to  fill  their  vessels  with 
grain,  and  to  restore  every  man’s  money  into  his  sack,  and  to  give  them  pro- 
vision for  the  way.  And  thus  it  was  done  to  them. 

Return  26So  they  loaded  their  asses  with  their  grain,  and  departed.  27 And  when 
blotters  the  first  of  them  opened  his  grain-sack  to  give  his  ass  fodder  in  the  place  where  they  had 
their  re  8^°PPe(^  f°r  the  night,  he  saw  his  money,  for  behold  it  was  at  the  mouth  of  his  grain-sack! 
port  to  28aAnd  he  said  to  his  brethren,  My  money  is  restored;  and  here  it  is  even  in  my  grain-sack! 
acob  29  And  wheii  they  came  to  Jacob  their  father  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  they  told 
him  all  that  had  befallen  them,  saying,  30The  man  who  is  lord  in  that  land 
talked  harshly  with  us,  and  put  us  in  prison'1  as  though  we  were  spying  out 
the  country.  31  And  we  said  to  him,  We  are  honest  men;  we  are  not  spies; 
32we  are  twelve  brothers,  sons  of  our  father;  one  is  no  more  and  the  youngest 
's  to-day  with  our  father  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  33 And  the  man  who  is  lord 


h 4230  Following  Gk. 

136 


THE  FIRST  MEETING 


[Gen.  4233 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

in  that  land  said  to  us.  By  this  shall  I know  that  you  are  honest  men : leave 
one  of  your  brothers  with  me,  and  take  the  grain  for  the  needs  of  your  house- 
holds, and  go  your  way;  34bring  your  youngest  brother  to  me,  then  shall  I 
know  that  you  are  not  spies,  but  that  you  are  honest  men;  so  will  I give  up 
your  brother  to  you  and  you  shall  be  free  to  go  about  in  the  land. 

35But  as  they  were  emptying  their  sacks,  they  found  that  every  man’s  purse  Discov. 
of  money  was  in  his  sack;  and  when  they  and  their  father  saw  their  purses  of  oFthe 
money,  they  were  afraid.  28bAnd  their  hearts  failed  them  and  they  turned  in°their 
trembling  to  one  another,  saying,  What  is  this  that  God  hath  done  to  us?  an'athe 
36 And  Jacob  their  father  said  to  them,  You  bereave  me  of  my  children:  oPtheir 
Joseph  is  no  more  and  Simeon  is  no  more,  and  you  would  take  Benjamin  also; father 
all  these  things  have  befallen  me.  37But  Reuben  said  to  his  father.  You 
may  put  my  two  sons  to  death,  if  I do  not  bring  him  to  you.  Put  him  in  my 
charge  and  I will  bring  him  back  to  you.  43  14Then  Jacob  said,  God 
Almighty  give  you  mercy  before  the  man,  that  he  may  release  to  you  your 
other  brother  and  Benjamin.  But  I — if  I be  bereaved  of  my  children,  I am 
bereaved. 

§ 52.  Joseph’s  Second  Meeting  with  his  Brothers, 

Gen.  4238,  43‘2'I3>  16-4434 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Gen.  43  4And  the  famine  was  severe  in  the  land.  2And  when  they  had  The 
eaten  up  the  grain  which  they  had  brought  from  Egypt,  their  father  said  to  "rSn°f 
them,  Go  again,  buy  us  a little  food.  3And  Judah  said  to  him,  The  man  era  rtfTa' 
protested  strongly  to  us  saying,  ‘You  shall  not  see  my  face  unless  your  impart e 
brother  is  with  you.’  4If  you  will  send  our  brother  with  us,  we  will  go 
down  and  buy  you  food,  5but  if  you  will  not  send  him,  we  will  not  go  down;  iamin 
for  the  man  said  to  us,  ‘You  shall  not  see  my  face  unless  your  brother  is 
with  you.’  6And  Israel  said,  Why  did  you  bring  evil  upon  me  by  telling  the 
man  you  had  another  brother  ? 7 And  they  said,  The  man  asked  particularly 

about  us  and  our  kindred,  saying,  ‘Is  your  father  yet  alive  ? have  you  a brother  ?’ 

So  we  informed  him  according  to  the  tenor  of  these  questions.  How  were 
we  to  know  that  he  would  say,  ‘Bring  your  brother  down?’  43  38But  he  said. 

My  son  shall  not  go  down  with  you ; for  his  brother  is  dead  and  he  only  is 
left.  If  harm  befall  him  on  the  way  by  which  you  go,  then  you  will  bring  down  Judah’s 
my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  Sheol.'  43  8Judah,  however,  said  to  Israel  his 
father,  Send  the  lad  with  me,  and  we  will  arise  and  go  that  we  may  live,  and  consent 
not  die,  both  we  and  you  and  also  our  little  ones.  9I  will  be  surety  for  him;  hjssons 
from  my  hand  you  may  require  him ; if  I do  not  bring  him  to  you  and  set  him  depart 


§ 52  The  evidences  that  this  story  is  from  the  Judean  source  are  chiefly  linguistic,  but  they 
are  many  and  conclusive.  They  are,  for  example:  Israel,  in  43°  ■ 8;  little  ones,  in  5;  bowed  the  head, 
in  2S;  made  haste,  in  30;  old  age,  in  4420.  The  importance  of  Judah  throughout  the  story  also 
confirms  the  linguistic  testimony.  The  tradition,  like  many  of  those  in  the  Joseph  cycle,  ha3 
been  amplified  and  embellished  during  the  period  of  ora!  transmission,  but  it  has  received  very 
few,  if  any,  later  editorial  additions.  From  beginning  to  end  it  is  a consistent  literary  unit, 
a splendid  example  of  the  kind  of  popular  story  which  probably  held  the  attention  and  fired 
the  ambition  of  the  youthful  Saul  and  David. 

■ 423s  l.e.,  to  the  grave.  Sheol  corresponds  in  general  to  the  Greek  Hades,  the  abode  of 
departed  spirits.  Cf.  Job  313-19. 


137 


Their  re- 
ception 
at  Jo- 
seph’s 
house 


J oseph’s 
royal 
hospital- 
ity tow- 
ard them 


Gen.  439]  THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

before  you,  then  let  me  bear  the  blame  forever;  10for  if  we  had  not  lingered 
surely  we  would  now  have  returned  the  second  time.  11  Therefore  their  father 
said  to  them,  If  it  must  be  so,  then  do  this:  take  some  of  the  products  of  the 
land  in  your  vessels,  and  carry  down  a present  to  the  man:  a little  balsam 
and  a little  grape  syrup  and  ladanum,  pistacia  nuts,  and  almonds.  12Take 
also  twice  as  much  money  in  your  hands,  and  the  money  that  was  returned  in 
the  mouth  of  your  sacks  carry  back  with  you;  perhaps  it  was  a mistake. 
13Take  your  brother  also,  and  arise  go  again  to  the  man.  15So  the  men  took 
this  present  with  twice  as  much  money  in  their  hands,  and  Benjamin,  and 
rose  up,  and  went  down  to  Egypt,  and  stood  before  Joseph. 

16Now  when  Joseph  saw  Benjamin  with  them,  he  said  to  the  steward  of 
his  house,  Bring  the  men  into  the  house,  and  slay,  and  make  ready,  for  the 
men  will  dine  with  me  at  noon.  17 And  the  man  did  as  Joseph  said,  and  the 
man  brought  the  men  to  Joseph’s  house.  18The  men,  however,  were  afraid 
because  they  were  brought  to  Joseph’s  house,  and  they  said,  Because  of  the 
money  that  was  returned  in  our  grain-sacks  at  the  first  are  we  brought  in, 
that  he  may  seek  occasion  against  us,  and  fall  upon  us,  and  take  us  for  bond- 
men,  together  with  our  asses.  19And  when  they  came  near  to  the  steward  of 
Joseph’s  house,  they  spoke  to  him  at  the  door  of  the  house,  20and  said,  Oh  my 
lord,  we  simply  came  down  the  first  time  to  buy  food;  21and  it  came  to  pass, 
when  we  reached  the  place,  where  we  were  to  pass  the  night,  that  we  opened 
our  sacks,  and,  behold,  every  man’s  money  was  in  the  mouth  of  his  sack,  our 
money  in  full  weight;  and  we  have  brought  it  back  with  us.  22 And  we  have 
brought  down  other  money  in  our  hands  to  buy  food ; we  do  not  know  who  put 
our  money  into  our  sacks.  23And  he  said,  Peace  be  to  you,  fear  not; 
your  God  and  the  God  of  your  father  hath  given  you  treasure  in  your  sacks; 
I had  your  money.  Then  he  brought  Simeon  out  to  them.  24 And  the  man 
brought  the  men  into  Joseph’s  house,  and  gave  them  water  that  they  might 
wash  their  feet,  and  he  gave  their  asses  fodder.  25Then  they  made  ready  the 
present  in  anticipation  of  Joseph’s  coming  at  noon,  for  they  had  heard  that 
they  were  to  eat  there. 

26Now  when  Joseph  came  to  the  house,  they  brought  in  to  him  the  present 
which  was  in  their  hands,  and  bowed  down  before  him  to  the  earth.  27 And 
he  asked  them  regarding  their  welfare  and  said,  Is  your  father  well,  the  old 
man  of  whom  you  spoke?  Is  he  yet  alive?  28 And  they  said,  Your  servant, 
our  father,  is  well,  he  is  yet  alive.  And  they  bowed  the  head,  and  made 
obeisance.  29 And  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  saw  Benjamin  his  brother,  his 
mother’s  son,  and  said,  Is  this  your  youngest  brother,  of  whom  you  spoke  to 
me?  And  he  said,  God  be  gracious  to  you,  my  son.  30 And  Joseph  made 
haste;  for  his  heart  yearned  toward  his  brother;  and  he  sought  a place  to  weep; 
and  he  went  into  his  room,  and  wept  there.  31Then  he  bathed  his  face  and 
came  out  and  controlled  himself,  and  said,  Bring  on  food.  32And  they 
brought  on  food  for  him  by  himself,  and  for  them  by  themselves,  and  for  the 
Egyptians  who  ate  with  him,  by  themselves,  because  the  Egyptians  might 
not  eat  with  the  Hebrews;  for  that  is  an  abomination  to  the  Egyptians. 

138 


THE  SECOND  MEETING 


[Gen.  4333 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

33 And  they  sat  before  him,  the  firstborn  according  to  his  birthright,  and 
the  youngest  according  to  his  youth;  and  the  men  looked  at  each  other  in 
astonishment.  34 And  he  took  portions  from  before  him  for  them;  but  Ben- 
jamin’s portions  were  five  times  as  much  as  any  of  theirs.  And  they  drank 
and  were  merry*  1 * with  him. 

44  4Then  he  commanded  the  steward  of  his  house,  saying,  Fill  the  men’s  Conceai- 
grain-sacks  with  food  as  much  as  they  can  carry,  and  put  every  man’s  money  in  £I“up£ 
his  sack’s  mouth. k 2 And  put  my  cup,1  the  silver  cup,  in  the  mouth  of  the  sack  jamfn’* 
of  the  youngest  with  his  grain  money.  And  he  did  according  to  the  word  that  sack 
Joseph  had  spoken. 

3 When  the  morning  dawned,  the  men  were  sent  away,  together  with  their  Com- 
asses.  4They  had  gone  out  of  the  city,  but  were  still  not  far  away,  when  pursue 
Joseph  ordered  his  steward,  Rise,  pursue  the  men;  and  when  you  overtake  cover6 
them,  say  to  them,  ‘ Why  have  you  repaid  evil  for  good  ? Why  have  you  stolen  the  cup 
my  silver  cup  ? m 5Is  not  this  that  in  which  my  lord  is  accustomed  to  drink, 
and  by  which  he  divines?  you  have  done  wrong  in  so  doing.’ 

6So  he  overtook  them  and  said  these  words  to  them.  7And  they  said  to  itsdia- 
him,  Why  does  my  lord  speak  such  words  as  these  ? Far  be  it  from  your  ser-  in  Ben- 
vants  that  they  should  do  such  a thing!  8Behold,  the  money  which  we  found  sack 
in  our  sacks’  mouths,  we  brought  back  to  you  from  the  land  of  Canaan ; how 
then  should  we  steal  from  your  lord’s  house  silver  or  gold?  9That  one  of 
your  servants  with  whom  it  is  found  shall  die,  and  we  will  also  be  my  lord’s 
bondmen.  10And  he  said,  Now  then  let  it  be  according  to  your  words;  he 
with  whom  it  is  found  shall  be  my  bondman;  but  you  shall  be  blameless. 

11Then  they  hastily  took  down  every  man  his  sack  to  the  ground,  and  every 
man  opened  his  grain-sack.  12And  he  searched,  beginning  with  the  oldest, 
and  finishing  with  the  youngest;  and  the  cup  was  found  in  Benjamin’s  grain- 
sack.  13Then  they  rent  their  clothes  and  every  man  loaded  his  ass  and  re- 
turned to  the  city. 

14So  Judah  and  his  brothers  came  back  to  Joseph’s  house;  and  he  was  yet  The 
there;  and  they  fell  before  him  on  the  ground.  15And  Joseph  said  to  them,  before 
What  deed  is  this  that  you  have  done  ? did  you  not  know  that  a man  like  me  Joseph 
could  divine  with  certainty?  16And  Judah  said,  What  shall  we  say  to  my 
lord  ? what  shall  we  speak  ? or  how  shall  we  clear  ourselves  ? God  hath  found 
out  the  iniquity  of  your  servants;  behold,  we  are  my  lord’s  bondmen,  both  we 
and  he  also  in  whose  hand  the  cup  is  found.  17But  he  said,  Far  be  it  from  me 
that  I should  do  so ! the  man  in  whose  hand  the  cup  is  found  shall  be  my  bond- 
man  ; but  you  yourselves  go  up  in  peace  to  your  father. 

18Then  Judah  came  close  to  him,  and  said,  Oh,  my  lord,  let  your  servant,  Judah’s 
I pray  you,  speak  a word  in  my  lord’s  ears,  and  do  not  let  your  anger  be  kindled  josephto 
against  your  servant;  for  you  are  as  Pharaoh.  19My  lord  asked  his  servants 

i 43s4  Lit.,  became  intoxicated.  So  other  texts. 

k 441  Nothing  is  said  in  the  sequel  of  the  money,  cf.  11  • 12 . Evidently  this  gloss  wa9  added 
by  an  editor  who  recalled  the  story  in  42. 

1 442  A cup  shaped  like  the  cup  or  calyx  of  a flower. 

m 444  Not  found  in  the  Heb.,  but  preserved  in  the  Gk.(  Syr.,  and  Lat. 

139 


Joseph’s 
declara- 
tion of 
his  iden- 
tity and 
mission 


Gen.  4419]  THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

saying,  ‘Have  you  a father,  or  a brother?’  20 And  we  said  to  my  lord,  ‘We 
have  a father,  an  old  man,  and  a child  of  his  old  age,  a little  one;  and  as  his 
brother  is  dead,  he  alone  is  left  of  his  mother;  and  his  father  loves  him.’  21  And 
you  said  to  your  servants,  ‘Bring  him  down  to  me,  that  I may  set  my  eyes  upon 
him.’  “ 22But  we  said  to  my  lord,  ‘The  lad  cannot  leave  his  father;  for  if  he 
should  leave  his  father,  his  father  would  die.’  23Then  you  said  to  your 
servants,  ‘Unless  your  youngest  brother  comes  down  with  you,  you  shall  not 
see  my  face  again.’  24And  when  we  went  up  to  your  servant,  my  father,  we 
told  him  the  words  of  my  lord.’  25And  our  father  said,  ‘Go  again,  buy  us  a 
little  food.’  26But  we  said,  ‘We  cannot  go  down.  If  our  youngest  brother  is 
with  us,  then  we  will  go  down;  for  we  may  not  see  the  man’s  face  unless  our 
youngest  brother  is  with  us.’  27 And  your  servant,  my  father,  said  to  us,  ‘You 
know  that  my  wife  bore  me  two  sons;  28and  one  went  from  me,  and  I said, 
“Surely  he  is  torn  in  pieces”;  and  I have  not  seen  him  since;  29now  if  you  take 
this  one  also  from  me,  and  harm  befall  him  you  will  bring  down  my  gray  hairs 
with  sorrow  to  Sheol.’  30 And  now  if  I come  to  your  servant,  my  father, 
without  having  with  us  the  lad  in  whose  life  his  life  is  bound  up,  31then  when 
he  sees  that  there  is  no  lad,  he  will  die;  and  your  servants  will  bring  down  the 
gray  hairs  of  your  servant,  our  father,  with  sorrow  to  Sheol.  32For  your  ser- 
vant became  surety  for  the  lad  to  my  father,  when  I said,  ‘If  I do  not  bring  him 
to  you,  then  I shall  bear  the  blame  before  my  father  forever.’  33Now  there- 
fore let  your  servant,  I pray  you,  remain  instead  of  the  lad  as  a bondman  to  my 
lord,  but  let  the  lad  go  up  with  his  brothers.  34For  how  shall  I go  up  to  my 
father,  if  the  lad  is  not  with  me? — lest  I should  see  the  sorrow  that  would 
come  upon  my  father. 


§ 53.  Joseph’s  Disclosure  of  his  Identity,  Gen.  45 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Gen.  45  laNow  Joseph  could  not 
control  himself  before  all  those  that 
were  standing  by  him  and  he  cried 


Early  Ephraimite  Narratives 

45  lb  Now  there  stood  no  man 
with  him  when  Joseph  made  himself 
known  to  his  brothers.  2a’cBut  he 


“ 4421  I.  e. , take  him  under  my  protection.  Gk.,  and  I will  care  for  him. 

§ 53  Gen.  45  marks  the  climax  of  the  Joseph  stories.  The  evidence  that  two  independent 
narratives  have  here  been  woven  together  is  indubitable.  Thus  for  example  there  are  two 
accounts  of  Joseph’s  disclosure  of  himself  to  his  brothers,  in  3 and  4;  twice  he  instructs 
them  to  invite  his  father  to  come  and  live  with  him , in  9 and  10;  the  command  that  they  bring  his 
father  to  Egypt  is  repeated  in  13  - 18  ■ 19.  The  familiar  expressions  of  the  two  early  prophetic 
narratives  appear,  such  as  Jehovah  and  God,  Israel  and  Jacob,  so  that  in  general  the  classifica- 
tion of  the  material  is  easy.  The  assignment  of  certain  detailed  clauses,  however,  is  more  doubt- 
ful, for  the  amalgamation  is  often  exceedingly  close.  The  peculiar  expression  control  himself, 
is  found  again  in  the  Judean  narratives,  4331.  The  reference  to  the  sale  of  Joseph  to  the  Ishmaelites 
in  4 indicates  that  this  also  came  from  the  same  source.  The  Judean  version  contains  no  inquiry 
regarding  Israel,  for  that  has  already  been  made  in  43^ . The  other  repetitions,  Vss.  *• 2,  when 
analyzed,  yield  two  consistent  parallels.  Goshen  in  10°  is  the  district,  according  to  the  Judean 
source,  where  the  Israelites  settle  with  their  families  and  herds.  Cf.  § 58  Introd.  In  this  strand 
Joseph  himself  sends  wagons  to  bring  his  kinsmen  to  Egypt,  and  then,  when  they  are  on  the 
ground,  by  wise  diplomacy  persuades  Pharaoh  to  allow  them  to  dwell  in  Goshen  and  to  have 
charge  of  the  royal  herds,  4630-34,  47u4'  6b,  § 54.  In  the  Ephraimite,  Pharaoh  himself  is  repre- 
sented as  bringing  down  Joseph’s  kinsmen  to  Egypt  with  royal  munificence.  Again  the  com- 
pleteness and  consistency  of  each  of  the  parallel  versions  is  the  supreme  demonstration  of  the 
correctness  of  the  analysis. 

MO 


Gen.  45la]  DISCLOSURE  OF  JOSEPH’S  IDENTITY  [Gen.  452* 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

out,  Cause  every  man  to  go 
me. 

2bAnd  the  Egyptians 
obeyed.  4Then  Joseph 
said  to  his  brothers,  Come 
near  to  me,  I pray  you. 
And  they  came  near.  And 
he  said,  I am  Joseph  your 
brother,  whom  you  sold 
into  Egypt.  5a>  °But  now 
be  not  troubled  that  you 
sold  me  hither,  7bfor  J e- 
hovah  sent  me  before  you 
to  give  you  a remnant  on 
the  earth.0 

10a'cGo  therefore  to  Is- 
rael and  say  to  him.  You 
shall  dwell  in  the  land  of 
Goshen,  you  and  your 
children  and  your  grand- 
children and  your  flocks 
and  your  herds  nand  all 
that  you  have,  and  there 
will  I provide  for  you,  for 
there  are  yet  five  years 
of  famine,  lest  you  be 
brought  to  poverty,  to- 
gether with  your  house- 
hold and  all  that  you  have . 

12 And  behold  your  eyes 
see,  and  the  eyes  of  my 
brother  Benjamin,  that 
it  is  my  mouth  that  is 
speaking  to  you.  14And 
he  fell  upon  his  brother 
Benjamin’s  neck  and  wept 
and  Benjamin  wept  upon 
his  neck.  19And  hep  com- 
manded them.  This  do, 
take  wagons  out  of  the 


Early  Ephraimite  Narratives 

out  from  wept  so  loudly  that  Pharaoh ’s  house- 
hold heard. 


3Then  Joseph  said  to  his  brothers,  I am 
Joseph.  Is  my  father  yet  alive?  And  his 
brothers  could  not  answer  him,  so  dismayed  were 
they  to  see  him.  But  he  said,  5b’  dBe  not  angry 
with  yourselves,  for  God  sent  me  before  you  to 
preserve  life.  6For  now  the  famine  has  already 
been  two  years  in  the  land.  And  there  are  yet 
three  years  in  which  there  shall  be  neither  plow- 
ing nor  harvest.  7a’cAnd  God  sent  me  before  you 
to  effect  for  you  a great  deliverance.0  8So  now 
it  is  not  you  that  sent  me  here  but  God.  And  he 
hath  made  me  a father  to  Pharaoh  and  lord  of  all 
his  house  and  ruler  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 

9Hasten  and  go  up  to  my  father  and  say  to  Com- 
him,  Thus  saith  your  son  Joseph,  God  has  made  bring  his 
me  lord  of  all  Egypt,  come  down  without  delay,  andidns- 
l0bAnd  you  shall  be  near  to  me.  13And  you  shall  E^ypt5 
tell  my  father  of  all  my  glory  in  Egypt  and  of  all 
that  you  have  seen  and  you  must  quickly  bring 
my  father  down  hither.  15And  he  kissed  all  his 
brothers,  and  wept  upon  them;  and  afterwards 
his  brothers  talked  with  him.  16And  the  report 
was  heard  in  Pharaoh’s  house,  that  Joseph’s 
brothers  were  come ; and  it  pleased  Pharaoh  and 
his  servants;  17therefore  Pharaoh  said  to  Joseph, 

Say  to  your  brothers,  ‘This  do,  load  your  beasts 
and  go  and  enter  the  land  of  Canaan,  18and  take 
your  father  and  your  households,  and  come  to 
me,  and  I will  give  you  the  best  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  that  you  may  eat  the  fat  of  the  land. 

20 Also  do  not  pay  any  attention  to  your  house- 
hold goods,  for  the  best  of  all  the  land  of  Egypt  is 
yours.’  21bSo  Joseph  gave  them  wagons  accord- 
ing to  the  command  of  Pharaoh,  and  provision 
for  the  way.  22To  each  of  them  he  gave  a festal 
garment,  but  to  Benjamin  he  gave  three  hundred 
pieces  of  silver,  and  five  festal  garments.  23 And 
to  his  father  he  sent  as  follows : ten  asses  laden 


o 457b,  c Heb.,  to  put  for  you  a remnant  on  the  earth  and  to  cause  to  live  for  you  for  c.  great 
deliverance.  Gk.,  Sam.,  and  Syr.  leave  out  the  for  in  the  last  clause,  giving  a more  intelligible 
text. 

p 4519  Heb.,  and  you  (sing.)  are  commanded.  The  verbs  which  immediately  precede  and 
follow,  however,  are  plural.  The  Gk.,  Syr.  and  Lat.  translators  all  recognized  that  the  text 
was  confused  and  each  suggested  different  emendations.  The  confusion  apparently  arose 
through  the  combination  of  two  distinct  narratives.  A simple  reconstruction  of  the  text  gives 
the  above  reading. 


141 


[Gen.  4523 


Gen.  4519]  THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

land  of  Egypt  for  your 
little  ones  and  for  your 
wives  and  bring  your 
father  and  come. 

Jacob-  21  a And  the  sons  of  Is- 
recep-3  rael  did  so,  27aand  they 
thejoy-  told  him  all  the  words 
£iii  news  wj1jcj1  Josephfi  had  said  to 

them ; 28and  Israel  said , It 
is  enough;  Joseph  my  son 
is  yet  alive;  I will  go  and 
see  him  before  I die. 


Early  Ephraimite  Narratives 

with  the  best  things  of  Egypt,  and  ten  she-asses 
laden  with  grain  and  bread  and  provision  for 
his  father  on  the  journey. 

24So  he  sent  his  brothers  away  and  they  de- 
parted. And  he  said  to  them,  See  that  you  do 
not  quarrel  on  the  way.  25 And  they  went  up  out 
of  Egypt  and  came  into  the  land  of  Canaan  to 
Jacob  their  father.  26 And  they  told  him,  saying, 
Joseph  is  yet  alive,  and  he  is  ruler  over  all  the 
land  of  Egypt.  And  his  heart  grew  numb,  for  he 
believed  them  not.  27bBut  when  he  saw  the 
wagons  which  Joseph  had  sent  to  carry  him,  the 
spirit  of  Jacob  their  father  revived. 


§ 54.  Establishment  of  his  Kinsmen  in 


Egypt,  Gen.  46,  471_12>  27>  28 


Early  Judean 

The  Gen.  46  laThen  Is- 

Jcmmey  ... 

to  Egypt  rael  set  out  on  his  jour- 
recdephe  ney  with  all  that  he  had . 
hSktns-  28And  he  sent  Judah 
Joseph  before  him  to  Joseph, 
that  he  might  show 
him3  the  way  to  Go- 
shen. Now  when  they 
came  into  the  province 
of  Goshen,  29Joseph 
made  ready  his  char- 
iot, and  went  up  to 
Goshen  to  meet  Israel 
his  father;  and  as  he 
presented  himself  to 
him,  he  fell  on  his  neck, 
and  wept  on  his  neck  a 
long  time.  30Then  Is- 


Early  Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

46  lbThen  Jacob 
went  to  Beershebar 
and  offered  sacri- 
fices to  the  God 
of  his  father  Isaac. 
2And  God  spoke  to 
Israel*  in  the  visions 
of  the  night,  and 
said,  Jacob.  3And 
he  said,  Here  am  I. 
And  he  said,  I am 
God, the  God  of  thy 
father.  Do  not  be 
afraid  to  go  down 
into  Egypt,  for 
I will  there  make 
of  thee  a great 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

46  °Then  they  took  their 
cattle  and  their  goods  which 
they  had  acquired  in  the  land 
of  Canaan,  and  came  into 
Egypt,  Jacob  and  all  his  de- 
scendants with  him : 7his  sons 
and  his  grandsons  with  him, 
his  daughters  and  his  grand- 
daughters and  all  his  descend- 
ants he  brought  with  him  into 

Egypt- 

8Now  these  are  the  names 
of  the  descendants  of  Jacob, 
the  children  of  Israel,  who 
came  into  Egypt,  Jacob  and 
his  sons : Reuben,  Jacob’s  first- 
born. 9And  the  sons  of  Reu- 
ben: Hanoch,  Pallu,  Hezron, 


a 4527a  Heb.,  words  of  Joseph,  which  he  had  said  to  them. 

§ 54  The  two  parallel  narratives  in  the  preceding  lead  us  to  expect  two  also  in  this  section. 
Israel  in  la,  land  of  Goshen  in  2S-  29;  34.  471.  4>  6,  Judah  in  2S,  and  the  prominence  of  flocks  and 
herds  in  31-34  make  it  easy  to  distinguish  the  Judean  version.  God  in  lb.  2-  3,  Jacob  in  2,  the 
nature  of  the  vision  in  2-4,  and  the  reference  to  the  wagons  sent  by  Pharaoh  in  5 mark  out  the 
brief  Ephraimite  parallel.  The  vocabulary,  expressions  and  style,  as  well  as  ideas  of  the  late 
priestly  narratives  in  466-27  and  475-u,  indicate  that  as  the  Israelites  again  figure  prominently 
in  the  narrative,  the  third  great  source  is  again  represented. 

r 4Qib  .The  clause,  went  to  Beersheba,  may  be  from  an  editor  who  noted  5 and  remembered 
that  according  to  3714  (Judean)  Israel  was  living  at  Hebron.  The  exact  place  where  he  made 
his  house  is  not  indicated  in  the  Ephraimite  source — presumably  it  was  Beersheba. 

» 4628  Gk.,  Syr,,  and  Sam.,  that  he  should  appear  before  him,  i.  e.,  come  to  meet  him. 

* 462  That  7 srael  was  introduced  here  by  a later  editor  is  clearly  shown  by  the  occurrence  of 
Jacob  in  the  immediately  preceding  and  following  context. 

142 


Gen.  4630’3] 


JOSEPH’S  KINSMEN  IN  EGYPT 


[Gen.  469 


Early  Judean 

rael  said  to  Joseph, 
Now  let  me  die,  since 
I have  seen  your  face, 
that  you  are  yet  alive. 
31And  Joseph  said  to 
his  brothers,  and  to  his 
father’s  house,  I will  go 
up  and  tell  Pharaoh 
and  say  to  him,  My  bro- 
thers and  mv  father’s 
house,  who  were  in  the 
land  of  Canaan,  have 
come  to  me.  32Nowthe 
men  are  shepherds,  for 
they  have  been  keepers 
of  cattle ; and  they  have 
brought  their  flocks 
and  cattle  and  all  that 
they  have.  33 And  when 
Pharaoh  shall  call  you, 
and  shall  say,  ‘What  is 
your  occupation?’ 
34then  say,  ‘Your  ser- 
vants have  been  keep- 
ers of  cattle  from  our 
youth  even  until  now, 
both  we  and  our  fa- 
thers,’ that  you  may 
dwell  in  the  province 
of  Goshen;  for  every 
shepherd  is  an  abomi- 
nation to  the  Egyp- 
tians. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

andCarmiu.  10  And  the  sons  of 
Simeon:  Jemuel, Jamin,  Ohad, 
Jachin,  Zohar,  and  Shaul  the 
son  of  a Canaanitish  woman. 
11  And  the  sons  of  Levi:  Ger- 
shon,  Kohath,  and  Merari. 
12 And  the  sons  of  Judah:  Er, 
Onan,  Shelah,  Perez,  and 
Zerah ; (but  Er  and  Onan  died 
in  the  land  of  Canaan).  And 
the  sons  of  Perez  were  Ilezron 
and  Hamul.  13  And  the  sons  of 
Issachar:  Tola,  Puvah,  lob, 
and  Shimron.  14And  the  sons 
of  Zebulun:  Sered,  Elon,  and 
Jahleel.  15These  are  the  sons 
of  Leah,  whom  she  bore  to 
Jacob  in  Paddan-aram,  with 
his  daughter  Dinah;  altogether 
his  sons  and  daughters  were 
thirty -three.  16And  the  sons  of  Gad:  Ziphion,  Haggi, 
Shuni,  Ezbon,  Eri,  Arodi,  and  Areli.  17And  the  sons 
of  Asher:  Imnah,  Ishvah,  Ishvi,  Beriah,  and  Serah 
their  sister;  and  the  sons  of  Beriah:  Heber  and  Mal- 
chiel.  18These  are  the  children  of  Zilpah,  whom 
Laban  gave  to  Leah  his  daughter;  and  these  sixteen 
persons  she  bore  to  Jacob.  19The  sons  of  Rachel 
Jacob’s  wife:  Joseph  and  Benjamin.  20 And  to 
Joseph  in  the  land  of  Egypt  were  born  Manasseh 
and  Ephraim,  whom  Asenath  the  daughter  of  Poti- 
phera  priest  of  On  bore  to  him.  21  And  the  sons  of 
Benjamin:  Bela,  Becher,  Ashbel,  Gera,  Naaman, 
Ahiram,  Shephupham,* * v  Huppim,  and  Ard.  22These 
are  the  sons  of  Rachel,  who  were  born  to  Jacob,  al- 
together fourteen.  23 And  the  sons  of  Dan : Hushim. 
24 And  the  sons  of  Naphtali:  Jahzeel,  Guni,  Jezer, 
and  Shillem.  25These  are  the  sons  of  Bilhah,  whom 
Laban  gave  to  Rachel  his  daughter,  and  these  she 
bore  to  Jacob,  altogether  seven.  26 All  the  persons 
who  came  with  Jacob  into  Egypt,  who  were  de- 
scended from  him,w  besides  Jacob’s  sons’  wives, 
were  altogether  sixty-six.  27 And  Joseph  had  two 


Early  Ephraimite 
Prophetic 

nation;  4I  myself 
will  go  down  with 
thee  into  Egypt; 
and  I will  also 
surely  bring  thee 
up  again;  and  Jo- 
seph shall  put  his 
hand  upon  thine 
eyes.  5 And  when 
Jacob  rose  from 
Beersheba,  thesons 
of  Israel  carried 
Jacob  their  father 
with  their  little  ones 
and  their  wives  in 
the  wagons  which 
Pharaoh  had  sent 
to  carry  him. 


u 468-24  Cf.  Ex.  611'  I6,  Num.  26,  I Chrs.  2-8.  Ex.  614’  15  is  a slightly  different  variant  of 

Gen.  469’  lu. 

v 46'2i  The  present  Heb.,  Ehi,  Rosh,  Muppim,  arose  from  a mistaken  reading  of  the  conso- 
nants. Cf.  Num.  2638. 39. 

" 4626  Heb.,  That  came  out  of  his  loins. 


143 


Pha- 
raoh’s 
recep- 
tion of 
Joseph’s 
kinsmen 
and  pro- 
vision 
for  their 
needs 


Jacob- 
Israel's 
instruc- 
tions re- 
garding 
his 
burial 


Gen.471]  THE  JOSEPH  STORIES  [Gen.  4627 


Early  Judean 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

sons  who  were  born  to  him  in  Egypt.  The  total 
number  of  persons  of  the  house  of  Jacob  who 
came  into  Egypt,  was  seventy. 


47  1Then  Joseph  went  in  and  told 
Pharaoh,  and  said,  My  father  and  my 
brothers  with  their  sheep  and  cattle 
and  all  that  they  possess  have  come 
from  the  land  of  Canaan;  and,  be- 
hold, they  are  in  the  province  of 
Goshen.  2And  from  among  his 
brothers  he  took  five  men,  and  pre- 
sented them  to  Pharaoh.  3 And 
Pharaoh  said  to  his  brothers, 
What  is  your  occupation  ? And  they 
said  to  Pharaoh,  Your  servants  are 
shepherds,  both  we  and  our  fathers. 
4They  also  said  to  Pharaoh,  We  have 
come  to  sojourn  in  the  land,  because 
there  is  no  pasture  for  your  servants’ 
flocks,  since  the  famine  is  severe  in 
the  land  of  Canaan.  Now  therefore 
we  pray,  let  your  servants  dwell  in  the 
province  of  Goshen.  And  Pharaoh 
spoke  to  Joseph,  saying,  6bIn  the  land 
of  Goshen  let  them  dwell;  and  if  you 
know  any  capable  men  among  them, 
then  you  may  put  them  in  charge  of 
my  cattle.  12So  Joseph  provided  food 
for  his  father  and  his  brothers  and 
all  his  father’s  household  according 
to  the  number  of  the  little  children. 
27aAnd  Israel  dwelt  in  the  land  of 
Egypt  and  in  the  province  of  Goshen. 


47  5Then  Pharaoh  said  to  Joseph, 
Your  father  and  your  brothers  have 
come  to  you;  6athe  land  of  Egypt  is 
before  you;  in  the  best  of  the  land 
make  your  father  and  your  brothers 
dwell.  7Thereupon  Joseph  brought  in 
Jacob  his  father  and  presented  him  to 
Pharaoh;  and  Jacob  blessed  Pharaoh. 
8 And  Pharaoh  said  to  Jacob,  How 
many  are  the  days  of  the  years  of 
your  life?  9 And  Jacob  said  to  Pha- 
raoh, The  days  of  the  years  of  my 
pilgrimage  are  a hundred  and  thirty 
years;  few  and  evil  have  been  the  days 
of  the  years  of  my  life,  and  they  have 
not  attained  the  numberx  of  the 
years  of  the  life  of  my  fathers  in 
the  days  of  their  pilgrimage.  10 And 
when  Jacob  had  blessed  Pharaoh,  he 
went  out  from  the  presence  of  Pha- 
raoh. 1 1 So  Joseph  gave  his  father 
and  his  brothers  a dwelling  place  and 
granted  them  a possession  in  the  land 
of  Egypt,  in  the  best  of  the  land,  in 
the  province  of  Rameses,  as  Pharaoh 
had  commanded.  27bAnd  they  ac- 
quired possessions  in  it, and  were  fruit- 
ful and  became  exceedingly  numer- 
ous. 28 And  Jacob  lived  in  the  land  of 
Egypt  seventeen  years;  thus  the  days 
of  Jacob,  the  years  of  his  life,  were  a 
hundred  and  forty-seven  years. 


§ 55.  Blessing  of  Joseph’s  Sons  by  the  Dying  Jacob-Israel, 

Gen.  4729-31,  48,  49la’  2s-33,  50l 


Early  Judean 

47  29Now  when  the  time  drew  near 
that  Israel  must  die,  he  called  his  son 
Joseph  and  said  to  him.  If  now  I have 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

48  *Now  after  these  things,  they 
said  to  Joseph,  Behold  your  father  is 


x 479  Heb.,  days. 

§ 55  483-6  is  clearly  the  late  priestly  version  of  the  blessing.  4816'  10  and  20  contain  two  other 
distinct  blessings:  one  upon  Joseph  and  the  other  upon  his  two  sons.  The  sons  are  also  twice 

144 


Gen.  4729] 


BLESSING  OF  JOSEPH’S  SONS 


[Gen.  481 


Early  Judean 

found  favor  in  your  sight,  put,  I pray 
you,  your  hand  under  my  thigh,  and 
show  kindness  and  faithfulness  to  me; 
do  not  bury  me,  I pray  you,  in  Egypt; 
30but  when  I lie  down  to  sleep  with 
my  fathers,  you  shall  carry  me  out  of 
Egypt,  and  bury  me  in  their  burying- 
place.  And  [Joseph]  replied,  I will 
surely  do  as  you  have  said.  31Then  he 
said,  Give  me  your  oath:  so  he  gave 
him  his  oath.  And  Israel  bowed  him- 
self toward  the  head  of  the  bed. 

48  2bThen  Israel  strengthened 
himself  and  sat  up  on  the  bed,9band 
said.  Bring  [your  two  sons],  I pray 
you,  to  me,  and  I will  bless  them. 
10aNow  the  eyes  of  Israel  were  dim 
with  age,  so  that  he  could  not  see. 
13And  Joseph  took  them  both, — 
Ephraim  in  his  right  hand  toward 
Israel’s  left  hand,  and  Manasseh 
in  his  left  hand  toward  Israel’s 
right  hand,  and  brought  them  near 
to  him.  14Then  Israel  stretched 
out  his  right  hand  and  laid  it 
upon  the  head  of  Ephraim,  who 
was  the  younger,  and  his  left  hand 
upon  the  head  of  Manasseh,  cross- 
ing his  hands  intentionally;  for 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

sick.  So  he  took  with  him  his  two 
sons,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim.  2aAnd 
they  told  Jacob,  saying.  Behold  your 
son  Joseph  has  come  to  you.  7Then 
Jacob  said  to  J oseph,  As  for  me,  when 
I came  from  Paddan,  Rachel  died  to 
my  sorrow  in  the  land  of  Canaan  on 
the  way,  some  distance  from  Eph- 
rath;y  and  I buried  her  there  on  the 
way  to  Ephrath  (that  is  Bethlehem). 
Bury  me  there  also. 

8And  when  Is- 


rael saw  Joseph’s 
sons,  he  said,  Who 
are  these  ? 9aAnd 
Joseph  said  to  his 
father, Theyare  my 
sons  whom  God 
hath  given  me  here. 
10bAnd  he  brought 
them  near  to  him; 
and  he  kissed  them 
and  embraced 
them.  11  And  Israel 
said  to  Joseph,  I 
had  not  thought  to 
see  your  face;  and, 
lo,  God  hath  let 


Late  Priestly 
48  3Then  Jacob 
said  to  Joseph, God 
Almighty  appeared 
to  me  at  Luz  in 
the  land  of  Canaan 
and  blessed  me, 
4and  said  to  me. 
Behold,  I will 
make  thee  fruitful 
and  numerous, and 
I will  make  of  thee 
a company  of  peo- 
ples, and  will  give 
this  land  to  thy 
descendants  after 


brought  before  Jacob-Israel  in  4810b'  11  and  I3.  In4731  Jacob  himself  summoned  Joseph,  but  in 

481  the  latter  simply  heard  of  his  father’s  illness  and  came. 

The  form  of  oath  in  4729~31  is  the  same  as  in  242  and  indicates  that  this  passage  is  the  intro- 
duction to  the  Judean  version  of  the  story.  482b  naturally  follows  4731;  while  481'  2»  con- 
tains a new  introduction.  Jacob  in  20  points  to  the  Ephraimite  source. 

Vs. 7,  has  always  proved  a stumbling-block  to  commentators,  for  it  has  no  visible  connection 
with  the  context.  It  stands  in  the  midst  of  a prophecy  concerning  Ephraim  and  Manasseh, 
but  it  is  significant  only  as  a part  of  Jacob’s  instructions  regarding  the  place  where  he  should 
be  buried.  In  the  Judean  version  he  has  already  given  instructions  to  be  buried  with  his 
fathers,  4730.  In  the  priestly,  he  commands  that  his  sons  bury  him  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah. 
Thus  it  would  seem  that  7 is  in  its  proper  position  and  that  it  is  a fragment  of  the  Ephraimite 
version  of  Jacob’s  final  instructions.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  the  original  incident, 
to  which  it  refers  and  the  language  of  which  it  repeats  almost  word  for  word,  3516_2U,  § 43,  is 
probably  from  the  same  source.  Vs.  7,  therefore,  follows  naturally  after.1 

Israel  in  48s  suggests  the  Judean  source;  but  in  10,  which  evidently  belongs  to  this  strand, 
it  is  stated  that  Israel's  eyes  were  dim  so  that  he  could  not  see.  The  probability,  therefore, 
seems  to  be  that  Israel  in  8*  11  is  due  to  the  editor  who  closely  combined  the  two  narratives  at 
this  point.  The  blessing  in  15»  16  is  upon  the  two  sons  and  evidently  belongs  to  the  Judean 
strand,  the  use  of  God  in  the  connection  in  which  it  appears  not  being  incompatible  with  the 
characteristics  of  that  source.  The  linguistic  parallels  confirm  the  classification.  Cf.  15a  and 
2440; 16b  and  Num.  2230; 16b  and  Gen.  3030.  The  blessing  and  prophecy  in  2°-‘22  are  the  Ephraimite 
parallel.  A later  editor  has  introduced  in  492'27  an  ancient  poem  describing  the  characteristics 
of  each  of  the  Israelitish  tribes.  Cf.  vol.  V.  in  loco.  It  is  fitted  into  the  priestly  narrative, 
49i“ • 28b_32.  The  editor,  who  appears  to  have  been  a priest,  has  also  added  the  harmonizing 
clause,  4928a. 

7 487  Heb.,  When  there  was  still  some  distance  to  come  to  Ephrath. 

145 


His 

blessing 
upon  Jo- 
seph and 
his  two 
sons 


Israel's 

death 


Gen.  4814] 


THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 


[Gen.  481X>  4 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives  Early  Ephraimite 


Manassek  was  the  first-born. 
15And  he  blessed2  them,  saying. 
The  God  before  whom  my  fathers 
Abraham  and  Isaac  walked,  the 
God  who  hath  been  my  shepherd 
all  my  life  long  unto  this  day, 
16the  Messenger,  who  hath  re- 
deemed me  from  all  evil,  bless 
the  lads;  and  let  my  name  be  per- 
petuated by  them,22  and  the  name 
of  my  fathers  Abraham  and  Isaac ; 
and  let  them  grow  into  a multitude 
in  the  midst  of  the  earth.  17But 
when  Joseph  saw  that  his  father 
laid  his  right  hand  upon  the  head 
of  Ephraim,  it  displeased  him,  and 
he  seized  his  father’s  hand  to  re- 
move it  from  Ephraim’s  head  to 
Manasseh’s  head.  18And  Joseph 
said  to  his  father, Not  so, my  father; 
this  one  is  the  first-born;  put  your 
right  hand  upon  his  head.  19But 
his  father  refused  and  said,  I know, 
my  son,  I know,  he  also  shall  be- 
come a people,  and  he  also  shall  be 
great ; nevertheless  his  younger 
brother  shall  be  greater  than  he, 
and  his  descendants  shall  become 
a multitude  of  nations. 


me  see  your  off- 
spring also.  12  And 
Joseph  brought 
them  out  from  be- 
tween his  knees, 
and  bowed  him- 
self with  his  face  to 
the  earth.  20And 
[Jacob]  blessed 
Joseph  that  day, 
saying,  The  Israel- 
ites shall  invoke 
your  blessing  for 
themselves , saying, 

‘ God  make  you  as 
Ephraim  and  as 
Manasseh.’  Thus 
he  put  Ephraim  be- 
f o r e Manasseh. 
21  And  Israel  said 
to  Joseph,  Behold, 
I am  dying;  but 
God  will  be  with 
you,  and  bring  you 
back  to  the  land 
of  your  fathers. 
22Moreover  I have 
given  to  you  one 
mountain  -slope 
[Sheehem]a  above 
your  brothers,  which  I took  out  of 
the  power  of  the  Amorites  with  my 
sword  and  bow.b 


Late  Priestly 

thee  for  an  ever- 
lasting possession. 
5And  now  your  two 
sons  who  were  born 
to  you  in  the  land 
of  Egypt  before  I 
came  to  you  in 
Egypt  are  mine. 
Ephraim  and  Ma- 
nasseh, even  as 
Reuben  and  Sime- 
on, shall  be  mine. 
6And  your  off- 
spring which  you 
beget  after  them, 
shall  be  yours; 
they  shall  be  called 
after  the  name  of 
their  brothers  in 
their  inheritance. 


49  33b’cThen  Is- 
rael drew  his  feet 
up  into  the  bed, 
and  was  gathered 


49  laThen  Jacob  called  his  sons,  28band  blessed  them;  Jacob’s 
each  according  to  his  blessing  he  blessed  them.  29 And  blessing 
he  charged  them,  and  said  to  them,  I am  to  be  gathered  stmc-n 
to  my  people.  Bury  me  with  my  fathers  in  the  cave  that  yarding 

his 

: burial 


z 4816  Heb.,  Joseph,  but  Gk.  them,  as  is  demanded  by  the  subsequent  context.  In  20  the 
Heb.  has  them,  where  the  context  ( you  and  your  being  singular)  requires  Joseph.  This  double 
error  doubtless  resulted  from  the  process  of  combining  the  two  distinct  blessings  and  is  per- 
haps due  to  an  interchange  of  these  two  words. 

■li  4816  Heb.,  Let  my  name  be  named  in  them. 

* 4822  Evidently  a play  on  the  name  of  the  important  Ephraimite  city  Shechem,  which  is  the 
same  as  the  Heb.  word  shechem,  shoulder  or  mountain-slope. 

b 4822  In  two  other  Ephraimite  passages  which  refer  to  the  acquisition  of  territory  near 
Shechem  by  the  Israelites,  Gen.  3319  and  Josh.  2432,  it  is  gained  by  purchase.  In  Gen.  3427>  2S, 
however,  the  city  itself  is  seized  by  force.  To  this  incident  the  present  verse  probably  refers, 
and,  if  so,  did  not  originally  have  a negative  after  Amorites,  as  has  been  suggested. 

146 


BURIAL  OF  JACOB 


[Gen.  4929 


Gen.  4933c] 


Early  Judean 

unto  his  people. 
50  1 And  Joseph  fell 
upon  his  father’s 
face  and  wept  upon 
him  and  kissed 
him. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

is  in  the  field  of  Ephron  the  Hittite,  30in  the  cave  that  is 
in  the  field  of  Machpelah,  which  is  before  Mamre,  in  the 
land  of  Canaan,  which  Abraham  bought  with  the  field 
from  Ephron  the  Hittite  for  the  purpose  of  holding  it  as 
a burying-place.  31There  they  buried  Abraham  and 
Sarah  his  wife ; there  they  buried  Isaac  and  Rebekah  his 
wife;  and  there  I buried  Leah;  32the  field  and  the  cave 
that  is  in  it  which  was  purchased  from  the  children  of 
Heth.  33aAnd  when  Jacob  had  finished  charging  his 
sons,  he  breathed  his  last. 


§ 56.  Burial  of  Jacob  at  Hebron,  Gen.  50  2-14 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Theem-  Gen.  50  2Then  Joseph  commanded  his  servants  the 
of  Israel  physicians  to  embalm  his  father.  So  the  physicians 
embalmed  Israel,  3and  they  devoted  forty  days  to  it; 
for  thus  long  the  days  of  embalming  last;  and  the 
Egyptians  wept  for  him  seventy  days. 

Pha-  4And  when  the  days  of  weeping  for  him  were  past, 
permis-  Joseph  spoke  to  the  house  of  Pharaoh,  saying,  If  now  I 
bury10  have  found  favor  in  your  sight,  speak,  I pray  you,  in  the 
Canaan  cars  of  Pharaoh,  saying, 5 ‘My  father  made  me  take  oath, 
saying,  “Lo,  I am  dying;  in  my  grave  which  I have  digged 
for  myself  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  there  you  shall  bury 
me.”  ’ Now  therefore  let  me  go  up,  I pray  you,  and  bury 
my  father;  after  that  I will  return.  6 And  Pharaoh  said, 
Go  up  and  bury  your  father,  as  he  made  you  take  oath. 
The  pub-  7So  Joseph  went  up  to  bury  his  father;  and  with  him 
and  went  up  all  the  servants  of  Pharaoh,  the  elders  of  his 
moum-  jjouse,  and  all  the  elders  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  8and  all 
the  house  of  Joseph,  and  his  brothers,  and  his  father’s 
house.  Only  their  little  ones  and  their  sheep  and 
cattle  they  left  in  the  province  of  Goshen.  9 And  there 
went  up  with  him  both  chariots  and  horsemen,  so  that  it 
was  a very  great  company.  10 And  when  they  came  to 
Goren-ha-Atad  [Threshing-floor  of  the  thorn  bush] 
which  is  beyond  Jordan,  there  they  held  a very  great  and 
solemn  lamentation;  and  Joseph  made  a mourning  for 
his  father  seven  days.  41And  when  the  inhabitants  of 
the  land,  the  Canaanites,  saw  the  mourning  in  Goren- 
ha-Atad,  they  said,  This  is  a solemn  mourning  which  the 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

50  12Then  his  Burial  of 

l • j . i • Jacob  in 

sons  did  to  mm  as  the  cave 

he  had  command-  pdahich’ 
ed  them:  13for  his 
sons  carried  him  to 
the  land  of  Ca- 
naan, and  buried 
him  in  the  cave  of 
the  field  of  Mach- 
pelah, the  field 
which  Abraham 
bought  of  Ephron 
the  Hittite  before 
Mamre  for  the 
purpose  of  holding 
it  as  a burying 
place. 


§ 56  Gen.  502-14  may  contain  a few  clauses  from  an  Ephraimite  parallel,  but  as  a whole  it 
comes  from  the  Judean  source.  Cf.  Israel  in  2,  find  favor  in  4,  land  of  Goshen  and  herds  in  8 
Canaanites  in  n.  It  also  records  the  fulfilment  of  Joseph’s  promise  in  4729'3'.  Likewise,  5012’  14 
tell  of  the  carrying  out  of  Jacob’s  command  in  4929"30. 

147 


Gen.  5011]  THE  JOSEPH  STORIES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Egyptians  are  holding.  Therefore  its  name  was 
called  Abel-Mizraim  [Mourning  of  the  Egyptians];  it 
is  beyond  the  Jordan.  14Then  Joseph  returned  to  Egypt 
after  he  had  buried  his  father,  together  with  his  brothers 
and  all  that  went  up  with  him  to  bury  his  father. 

§ 57.  Later  Days  of  Joseph,  Gen.  5015-26 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

His  Gen.  50  15Now  when  Joseph’s  brothers  saw  that  their  father  was  dead,  they 

er’s  fears  said,  What  if  Joseph  should  hate  us,  and  should  return  in  full  to  us  ah  the  evil 
own r<r  which  we  did  to  him!0  16So  they  sent  a message  to  Joseph,  saying,  Your 
antes  father  commanded  before  he  died  saying, 17 ‘Thus  shall  you  say  to  Joseph,  “O 
forgive,  now,  the  wickedness  and  sin  of  your  brothers,  in  that  they  have  treated 
you  basely.”  ’ So  now,  we  pray,  forgive  the  wickedness  of  the  servants  of 
your  father’s  God.  And  Joseph  began  to  weep,  as  they  were  speaking  to 
him.  18And  his  brothers  also  went  and  fell  down  before  him  and  said. 
Here,  take  us  as  your  slaves.  19But  Joseph  said  to  them,  Do  not  be  afraid; 
for  am  I in  the  place  of  God  ? 20You  meant  evil  against  me,  but  God  meant 
it  for  good,  in  order  to  accomplish  that  which  is  being  done  this  day, — the 
saving  of  the  lives  of  many  people.  21Now  therefore  do  not  be  afraid;  I will 
provide  food  for  you  and  your  little  ones.  Thus  he  comforted  them  and 
spoke  reassuringly  to  them.d 

His  long  22So  Joseph  dwelt  in  Egypt  together  with  his  father’s  house.  And  Joseph 
prosper-  lived  a hundred  and  ten  years.  23 And  Joseph  saw  Ephraim’s  great-grand- 
<JU  1 8 children;  the  children  also  of  Machir,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  were  born  upon 
Joseph’s  knees. 

instmc-  24Then  Joseph  said  to  his  brothers,  I am  about  to  die;  but  God  will  surely 
garding  visit  you  and  bring  you  up  from  this  land  to  the  land  which  he  confirmed  by 
burial  an  oath  to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob.  25 Joseph  then  took  an  oath  of  the 

children  of  Israel,  saying,  When  God  visits  you  as  he  surely  will,  then  you 
shall  carry  up  my  bones  from  here.  26So  Joseph  died  being  a hundred  and 
ten  years  old;  and  they  embalmed  him,  and  he  was  put  in  a coffin  in  Egypt. 


§ 57  Traces  of  the  Judean  source  perhaps  appear  in  18>  21  • 21,  but  as  a whole  this  narrative  is 
evidently  from  the  Ephraimite  narratives.  Cf.  the  use  of  the  name  God  in  17 ■ 19’  20  • 24 • 25. 

c 5015  Conclusion  of  the  sentence,  as  often  in  Heb.,  is  implied  but  not  expressed:  how  would 
w*  then  fare ? 

d 5021  Heb.,  spoke  to  their  heart. 


148 


THE  DELIVERANCE  OF  THE  HEBREWS 
FROM  EGYPT 

Ex.  P-1213- 21-23- 27b'41-  «,  1317"22,  14,  151- 19'25>  27,  161,  171,  191-  2% 

Num.  331'15 


THE  DELIVERANCE  OF  THE  HEBREWS 
FROM  EGYPT 


I 


THE  BONDAGE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  AND  THE  RISE  OF 
THE  DELIVERER  MOSES,  Ex.  F-77 


§ 58.  Israel’s  Increase  and  Oppression,  Ex.  1 


Early  Judean 
Ex.  1 6Now  Jo- 
seph died  and  all 
his  brothers  and 
all  that  generation. 
7bAnd  the  Israel- 
ites became  nu- 
merous and  pow- 
erful. 


8Then  there 
arose  a new  king 
over  Egypt,  who 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

1 JNow  these  are  the  names  of  the  Israelites,  who  Rapid 
came  to  Egypt  (every  man  and  his  household  came  ofCtheS 
with  Jacob) : 2Reuben,  Simeon,  Levi,  and  Judah,  3Is-  iteaael" 
sachar,  Zebulun,  Benjamin,  4Dan,  Naphtali,  Gad,  and 
Asher.  5And  the  persons  who  were  descended  from 
Jacob  were  seventy  in  all;  but  Joseph  was  already  in 
Egypt.  7a’  cAnd  the  Israelites  were  fruitful,  and  increased 
very  rapidly,  so  that  the  land  was  filled  with  them. 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

1 15Now  the  king  of  Egypt  spoke 
to  the  Hebrew  midwives,  of  whom 
the  name  of  one  was  Shiphrah,  and 


13T  hen  the  Meas- 


T7  .*  l uresto 

Egyptians  made  prevent 
the  Israelites  to  crease1'" 


The  Bondage  and  the  Deliverer. — -The  three  groups  of  narratives  which  are  traceable 
throughout  Gen.  reappear  in  Ex.  The  significance  of  the  exodus  in  Heb.  life  and  thought 
explains  why  later  compilers  retained  three  distinct  and  fairly  complete  accounts  of  that 
event  and  of  the  incidents  antecedent  to  it.  The  characteristics  of  the  priestly  strand  are 
readily  recognized,  but  the  distinctions  between  the  two  prophetic  narratives  are  not  so  marked. 
As  usual  they  are  closely  amalgamated,  and  after  Ex.  313-15  the  use  of  the  names  of  the  Deity 
ceases  to  be  a certain  guide.  Their  separation,  however,  elucidates  many  otherwise  perplexing 
problems,  even  though  the  analysis  at  a few  points  must  be  regarded  as  only  tentative.  Aside 
from  linguistic  characteristics,  each  narrative  has  its  own  version  and  peculiarities,  some  of 
which  have  already  been  illustrated  in  Gen.  Thus  in  the  Judean,  the  Israelites  settle  in  Goshen, 
retaining  their  flocks  and  herds  together  with  their  unity  of  organization  and  comparative  inde- 
pendence. Cf.  Gen.  4510,  4628-  32,  508.  Their  men  alone  number  600,000,  Ex.  1237,  but  accord- 
ing to  the  Ephraimite.  they  are  settled  throughout  Egypt,  Gen.  4711,  Ex.  322,  1 12,  1213,  and  are 
so  few  that  two  midwives  are  enough  for  their  needs,  Ex.  I15.  In  the  Judean,  Moses  marries 
the  daughter  of  the  priest  of  Midian,  whom  he  takes  with  him  on  his  return  to  Egypt  together 
with  his  sons,  Ex.  216- 21 ; but  in  the  Ephraimite  his  father-in-law  Jethro  brings  his  wife  and  two 
sons  to  Moses  after  he  had  led  the  Israelites  forth  from  Egypt,  Ex.  418,  185.  The  form  and 
character  of  the  demands  made  upon  Pharaoh  also  differ  in  the  two  narratives.  In  the  process 
of  amalgamation,  when  the  two  are  in  close  agreement,  the  preference,  as  often  in  Gen.,  is  given 
to  the  Judean,  with  the  result  that  the  Ephraimite  version  is  frequently  fragmentary  or  else 
entirely  wanting. 

§ 58  Duplicates  in  7 and  in  13 • 14 , stylistic  peculiarities  and  characteristic  differences  in  repre- 
sentation make  the  analysis  clear.  In  7b-  12  appears  the  Judean  conception  that  the  Israelites 
were  a tributary  people,  in  numbers  comparable  with  the  Egyptians,  and  living  in  a province 
by  themselves  with  overseers  appointed  over  them ; while  in  15-22  they  live  near  Pharaoh’s  palace 
and  among  the  Egyptians22,  and  are  so  few  that  only  two  midwives  are  required.  The  use  of 
God  as  the  name  of  the  Deity  confirms  the  evidence  that  the  latter  is  the  Ephraimite  version. 
The  remaining  verses  of  the  chapter  in  formal  legalistic  language  present  the  late  priestly 
account  of  the  oppression. 


151 


Moses’s 
birth 
and  con- 
cealment 


Ex.  I8-  15] 


BONDAGE  OF  THE  HEBREWS 


[Ex.  I13 


Early  Judean 

did  not  know  Jo- 
seph. 9 And  he  said 
to  his  people.  See 
the  Israelitish  peo- 
plea  are  becom- 
ing more  numer- 
ous and  powerful 
than  we ; 10come 
let  us  deal  subtly 
with  them,  lestthey 
become  so  numer- 
ous that  if  a war 
arise,  they  will  join 
our  enemies,  and 
fight  against  us, 
and  go  up  out  of 
the  land.  1 'There- 
fore they  set  over 
them  taskmasters 
to  impose  tasks 
upon  them.  And 
they  built  for  Pha- 
raoh store-cities, 

Pithom  and  Ra- 
amses.  l2But  the 
more  they  afflicted 
them,  the  more 
numerous  they  be- 
came and  the 
more  they  spread 
abroad  so  that  the  Egyptians  became  appre- 
hensive of  the  Israelites. a 14aTherefore 
they  made  their  lives  bitter  with  hard  service 
in  mortar  and  in  brick,  20bbut  the  people  be- 
came very  numerous  and  powerful. 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

the  name  of  the  other  Puah;  16and 
he  said,  When  you  perform  the 
office  of  midwife  for  the  Hebrew 
women,  and  see  them  upon  the 
birth-stool;  if  it  be  a son,  then  you 
shall  kill  him;  but  if  it  be  a daugh- 
ter, she  shall  live.  17But  the  mid- 
wives feared  God,  and  did  not  do  as 
the  long  of  Egypt  commanded 
them,  but  saved  the  male-children 
alive.  18Therefore  the  king  of 
Egypt  called  for  the  midwives,  and 
said  to  them,  Why  have  you  done 
thus  and  saved  the  male-children 
alive?  19The  midwives  answered 
Pharaoh,  Because  the  Hebrew 
women  are  not  as  the  Egyptian 
women ; for  they  are  vigorous. 
Before  the  midwife  comes  to  them, 
they  are  already  delivered.  ^There- 
fore God  dealt  well  with  the  mid- 
wives.  21  And  it  came  to  pass,  be- 
cause the  midwives  feared  God, 
that  he  built  upb  their  families. 
22Then  Pharaoh  commanded  all 
his  people  saying,  Every  son  that 
is  born  to  the  Hebrews  you  shall 
cast  into  the  river,  but  every 
daughter  you  shall  save  alive. 


Late  Priestly  N ar 
ratives 

serve  with  rigor, 
14bin  all  kinds  of 
forced  labor  in  the 
field,  even  all  their 
forced  labor  which 
they  rigorously  ex- 
acted of  them. 


§ 59.  Birth  and  Preservation  of  Moses,  Ex.  21'10,  616-25 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 


Ex.  2 4Now  a man  of  the  house,  of  Levi  had 
entered  into  marriage  with  a daughter  of  Levi. 
2And  the  woman  conceived,  and  bore  a son ; and 


6 '^Now  these  are  the  Moses’s 
names  of  the  sons  of  Levi  ac-  kinsmen 
cording  to  their  generations : 
Gershon,  Kohath  and  Me. 


“ I9.12  Heb.,  people  of  the  children  of  Israel. 
b l21  Heb.,  he  made  them  households. 

§ 59  The  story  in  21-10  implies  that  the  Israelites  live  among  the  Egyptians  and  the  sequel  to 
the  command  of  Pharaoh  which  is  alone  found  in  the  Ephraimite  narratives,  l15'  22.  The  word 
used  for  maid  in  5 is  also  peculiar  to  the  same  source.  I Sam.  227>  2S,  which  is  apparently  a 

152 


Adop- 
tion oy 
Pha- 
raoh’s 
daugh- 
ter 


Ex.  22]  PRESERVATION  OF  MOSES  [Ex.  616 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 

when  she  saw  that  he  was  a beautiful  child,  she 
hid  him  for  three  months.  3But  when  she  could 
no  longer  hide  him,  she  took  for  him  an  ark  of 
papyrus  reeds,  and  daubed  it  with  bitumen  and 
pitch,  and  after  she  had  put  the  child  in 
it,  she  placed  it  in  the  reeds  by  the  bank  of 
the  Nile.  4And  his  sister  stood  at  a distance 
to  learn  what  would  be  done  to  him. 

5Now  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh  came  down  to 
bathe  in  the  Nile,  and  while  her  maids  were  walk- 
ing along  beside  the  Nile,  she  saw  the  ark  among 
the  reeds,  and  sent  her  waiting-maid  to  bring  it. 
6And  when  she  opened  it  and  saw  the  child,  be- 
hold the  baby-boy  was  crying.  And  she  had 
pity  on  him  and  said,  This  is  one  of  the  Hebrews’ 
children.  7Then  his  sister  said  to  Pharaoh’s 
daughter,  Shall  I go  and  call  a nurse  of  the 
Hebrew  women,  that  she  may  nurse  the  child  for 
you  ? 8And  Pharaoh’s  daughter  said  to  her,  Go. 
So  the  maiden  went  and  called  the  child’s  mother. 
9And  Pharaoh’s  daughter  said  to  her,  Take  this 
child  away  and  nurse  it  for  me,  and  I will  give 
you  your  wages.  Then  the  woman  took  the 
child  and  nursed  it.  10But  when  the  child  had 
grown  up,  she  brought  him  to  Pharaoh’s  daugh- 
ter, and  he  became  her  son.  And  she  called  his 
name  Moses,c  for  she  said,  I drew  him  out  of  the 
water. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

rari;  and  the  length  of  the 
life  of  Levi  was  a hundred 
and  thirty-seven  years.  17The 
sons  of  Gershon : Libni  and 
Shimei,  according  to  their 
families.  18And  the  sons  of 
Kohath : Amram,  Izhar,  He- 
bron and  Uzziel ; and  the 
length  of  the  life  of  Kohath 
was  a hundred  and  thirty- 
three  years.  19And  the  sons 
of  Merari : Mahli  and  Mushi. 
These  are  the  families  of  the 
Levjtes  according  to  their  gen- 
erations. 20 And  Amram  mar- 
ried Jochebed  his  father’s  sis- 
ter ; and  she  bore  him  Aaron 
and  Moses ; and  the  length  of 
the  life  of  Amram  was  a hun- 
dred and  thirty- seven  years. 
21And  the  sons  of  Izhar : Ko- 
rah,  Nepheg  and  Zichri.  22 And 
the  sons  of  Uzziel : Mishael, 
Elzaphan  and  Sithri.  23And 
Aaron  married  Elisheba,  the 
daughter  of  Aminadab,  the  sis- 
ter of  Nashon;  and  she  bare 
him  Nadab,  Abihu,  Eleazer 
and  Ithainar.  2hAnd  the  sons 
of  Korah  : Assir,  Elkanah  and 
Abiasaph  ; these  are  the  fami- 
lies of  the  Korahites.  25And 
Eleazer,  Aaron’s  son,  married 
one  of  the  daughters  of  Phutiel ; 
and  she  bare  him  Phinehas. 


§ 60.  Moses’s  Championship  of  his  Kinsmen  and  Flight  to  Midian,  Ex.  211'22 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Ex.  2 11  Now  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  when  Moses  had  grown  up,  that 
he  went  out  to  his  kinsmen  and  saw  their  tasks;  and  he  beheld  an  Egyptian 


northern  Israelitish  story,  refers  to  an  account  of  the  calling  of  the  priestly  family  which  is 
nowhere  found  in  the  O.T.  It  has  been  suggested  (Bacon,  Exodus  p.  7)  that  Ex.  2 was  origi- 
nally preceded  by  a family  history  of  Moses. 

A later  editor  has  inserted  in  Ex.  616'23  a genealogy  of  Moses  and  Aaron.  It  disturbs  the 
context  and  was  apparently  placed  where  it  is  simply  because  the  priestly  editor  felt  that  it 
should  be  introduced  somewhere,  cf.  note  § 61.  Its  logical  position  is  in  connection  with  the 
first  mention  of  Moses.  In  keeping  with  the  point  of  view  of  the  priestly  narratives,  even  more 
prominence  is  here  given  Aaron  than  Moses.  Possibly  Moses’s  wife  is  not  mentioned  because  her 
Midianite  (or  Cushite)  origin  was  repugnant  to  the  late  priestly  editor.  Other  parts  of  the 
genealogy  are  also  abridged.  The  whole  probably  represents  a later,  secondary  addition  to  the 
original  priestly  group  of  narratives. 

0 210  Various  derivations  have  been  suggested  for  this  word.  The  Hebrews  associated  it 
with  the  Heb.  verb  mdshdh,  to  draw  out,  as  shown  by  the  explanation  which  is  offered.  Its 
assumption  that  the  Egyptian  princess  spoke  Heb.  illustrates  the  naivete  of  most  of  these 
popular  etymologies.  Philo  and  Josephus  interpreted  it  saved  from  the  water.  It  is  more 
probably  an  abbreviated  Egyptian  name  (possibly  from  mesu,  son). 

§ 60  Vss.1^'22  are  clearly  taken  from  the  Judean  narratives.  Jethro  is  the  name  of  Moses’s 
father-in-law  in  the  Ephraimite,  31,  184,  but  in  218  it  is  Reuel  or  more  probably  was  originally 

153 


Moses’s 
murder 
of  an 

J pryp- 
tian  and 
flight 
from 
Pha- 
raoh’s 
court 


His  life 
in  Midi- 
an 


Prepara- 
tions for 
the  de- 
liver- 
ance of 
the  Is- 
raelites 


Ex.2n]  THE  DELIVERER  MOSES 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

smiting  a Hebrew,  one  of  his  kinsmen.  12And  he  looked  this  way  and  that 
and  when  he  saw  that  there  was  no  one  in  sight,  he  smote  the  Egyptian,  and 
hid  him  in  the  sand.  13And  he  went  out  on  the  following  day  and  saw  two 
men  of  the  Hebrews  striving  together;  and  he  said  to  the  one  who  was  doing 
the  wrong,  Why  do  you  smite  your  fellow-workman  ? 14But  he  replied,  Who 
made  you  a prince  and  a judge  over  us?  do  you  intend  to  kill  me  as  you  killed 
the  Egyptian?  Then  Moses  was  afraid  and  said,  Surely  the  thing  is  known. 
15When,  therefore,  Pharaoh  heard  this  thing,  he  sought  to  kill  Moses.  But 
Moses  fled  from  the  presence  of  Pharaoh  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  land 
of  Midian. 

Now  he  was  sitting  down  by  a well;  16and  the  priest  of  Midian  had  seven 
daughters;  and  they  came  and  drew  water,  and  filled  the  troughs  to  water 
their  father’s  flock.  17But  the  shepherds  came  and  drove  them  away;  then 
Moses  stood  up  and  helped  them  and  watered  their  flock.  18And  when  they 
came  to  Reuel  their  father,  he  said,  How  is  it  that  you  have  come  so  early 
to-day?  19And  they  said,  An  Egyptian  delivered  us  from  the  shepherds,  and 
besides  he  drew  water  for  us,  and  watered  the  flock.  20Then  he  said  to  his 
daughters,  And  where  is  he?  why  have  you  left  the  man?  Invite  him  to 
eat  bread  with  us.  21  And  Moses  was  content  to  dwell  with  the  man ; and  he 
gave  Moses  Zipporah  his  daughter.  22 And  she  bore  a son  and  she  called 
his  name  Gershomd  [An  alien  resident  there];  for  he  said,  I have  been  an 
alien  resident  in  a foreign  land. 


§ 61.  Moses’s  Call  and  Return  to  Deliver  the  Israelites, 

Ex.  223-25,  3,  41-21-  24-31(  62-125  71-5 


Early  Judean 

Ex.  2 23aNow  it  came  to  pass  in 
the  course  of  those  many  days  that 
the  king  of  Egypt  died.  4 19And 
Jehovah  commanded  Moses  in 
Midian,  Go  return  to  Egypt;  for 
all  the  men  are  dead  who  sought 
thy  life.  20aSo  Moses  took  his  wife 


Early  Ephraimite 
Prophetic 

3 4Now  Moses 
was  keeping  the 
flock  of  Jethro  his 
father-in-law,  the 
priest  of  Midian. 
And  he  led  the 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

2 23bNow  the  Is- 
raelites sighed  by 
reason  of  the  forced 
labor,  and  they 
cried,  and  their  cry 
came  up  to  God  be- 


not  given.  Cf.  Num.  1029,  Judg.  411.  Hobab  son  of  Reuel  seems  to  have  been  the  form  of  the 
name  in  the  Judean  narratives.  There  are  no  decisive  indications  as  to  which  of  the  prophetic 
sources  n-153  should  be  assigned.  The  Judean,  however,  has  already  stated  that  the  Hebrews 
were  subjected  to  forced  labor,  § 58.  419  also  indicates  that  the  Judean  must  have  contained  this 
story,  and  its  close  connection  with  15b~22  confirms  its  classification  under  the  same  head. 

(i  222  Popular  etymology.  The  Heb.  word  translated  resident  alien,  or  sojourner,  is  the 
technical  term  describing  anyone  who  resides  permanently  among  a tribe  or  people  other  than 
his  own. 

§ 61  Such  an  important  event  as  the  call  of  Moses  was  recorded  in  each  of  the  different  narra- 
tives. The  priestly  version  is  not  introduced  until  62-12  and  71-7.  This  records  the  third  and 
final  revelation  of  God  to  his  people.  Cf.  note  § 16.  Henceforth  he  is  known  as  Jehovah  in  the 
priestly  as  well  as  in  the  Judean  narratives.  The  Ephraimite  version  of  the  same  revelation  is 
found  in  313-15.  The  use  of  the  names  God  and  Jethro  in  31-  4b-  9-12  indicate  that  these  verses 

are  the  introduction  to  it.  319-22  and  417  are  evidently  the  sequel,  for  419  does  not  naturally  follow 
418- and  in  319-22  it  is  impliedthat  the  Israelites  dwell  amongthe  Egyptians.  Cf.  II2-3,  1235-36,§71. 
The  staff  in  the  hand  of  Moses  is  also  the  symbol  of  divine  power  in  the  Ephraimite  narratives. 

The  language  and  the  representation  in  the  remaining  verses  of  3 and  41-16  proclaim  their  Ju- 
dean origin.  There  is  no  new  relation  of  the  divine  name,  for  Jehovah  has  been  known  and  used 

154 


MOSES’S  CALL 


Ex.  220a] 


[Ex.  S1,  223b 


Early  Judean 

and  his  sons,  and  put  them  upon 
an  ass,  and  he  set  out  to  return  to 
the  land  of  Egypt.  24And  on  the 
way  at  the  lodging  place,  Jehovah 
fell  upon  him,  and  sought  to  kill 
him.  25Then  Zipporah  took  a flint 
and  cut  off  the  foreskin  of  her  son, 
and  touched  [Moses’]  persone  with 
it,  and  said.  Surely  you  are  a 
bridegroom  of  blood  to  me.  26So 
[Jehovah]  let  him  alone.  Thus  she 
originated  the  saying, f ‘A  bride- 
groom of  blood’  with  reference  to 
circumcision. 

3 2Then  the  Messenger  of  Je- 
hovah appeared  to  [Moses]  in  a 
flame  of  fire  out  of  the  midst  of  a 
thorn  bush ; and  he  looked  and  be- 
hold the  thorn  bush  burned  with 
fire  without  being  consumed. 
3Then  Moses  said,  I will  turn  aside 
now,  and  see  this  great  sight,  why 


Early  Ephraimite 

flock  to  the  back  of 
the  wilderness, and 
came  to  the  moun- 
tain of  God,  to 
Horeb. 


4b-dThen  God 
called  to  him,  say- 
ing, Moses, Moses. 
And  he  said,  Here 
am  I.  6 * * * * *And  he 
said,  I am  the  God 
of  thy  father,  the 
God  of  Abraham, 


Late  Priestly 

cause  of  the  forced 
labor.  24A  n d 
God  heard  their 
groaning,  and  God 
remembered  h i s 
covenant  with  Ab- 
raham, with  Isaac 
and  with  Jacob. 
25 And  God  looked 
upon  the  Israel- 
ites, and  God 
knew. 


6 2 * 4 *Therefore 
God  spoke  to 
Moses  and  said  to 
him,  I am  Jehovah; 
3and  I appeared  to 
Abraham,  to  Isaac 
and  to  Jacob,  as 
El-Shaddai  [God 


from  the  first,  note  § 3.  Moses’s  staff  appears,  but  is  turned  into  a serpent  simply  to  convince 

Moses  himself.  The  manner  in  which  Jehovah  appears  and  converses  with  his  servant  recalls 

the  Judean  prophetic  stories  in  Gen.  The  Gk.  translators  recognized  that  223a  and  419  belonged 
together  and  so  joined  them.  420  and  the  primitive  story  in  24-26  evidently  belong  in  the  same 
connection.  They  also  do  not  fit  their  context  in  Ex.,  for  the  command  to  return  to  Egypt  in 

419  is  incongruous  after  the  explicit  directions  in  37-18,  and  Jehovah’s  strange  attack  in  424-26  is 

inexplicable  after  the  revelation  recorded  in  3.  The  words  turn  aside  in  33  implies  that  Moses 

was  already  on  his  journey  to  Egypt.  The  staff  in  42  was  then  the  one  used  on  the  way,  while 

in  the  Ephraimite  narratives  it  was  the  shepherd’s  staff.  223a,  419-  20a*  24-28  constitute  the  logical 

introduction  to  32-5. 

Regarding  the  supreme  fact  that  Jehovah  revealed  himself  to  Moses,  inspiring  him  to 

undertake  the  great  task  which  he  accomplished,  all  the  narratives  are  in  perfect  agreement. 
Regarding  the  exact  form  and  content  of  that  revelation,  each  individual  tradition  reflects  the 
conceptions  of  the  age  and  class  of  teachers  from  which  it  came.  Whether  the  divine  name  Je/to- 
vah  was  known  to  the  ancient  Semitic  ancestors  of  the  Hebrews,  as  the  Judean  narratives  imply, 

or  was  first  proclaimed  to  them  after  Moses’s  sojourn  among  the  Midianites,  as  the  Ephraimite 
and  priestly  represent,  still  remains  one  of  the  most  perplexing  problems  of  biblical  research. 
No  unquestionable  examples  of  the  use  of  Jehovah  have  yet  been  found  on  the  ancient  monu- 
ments. On  the  whole  the  biblical  testimony  is  that  it  was  the  name  of  the  Deity  originally 
worshipped  at  Mount  Sinai  by  local  nomadic  tribes.  To  these  belonged  Moses’s  Kenite  father- 

in-law,  Jethro,  who  is  elsewhere  called  the  priest  of  Midian.  In  Ex.  18  he  is  represented  as 
offering  sacrifices  to  Jehovah  and  as  instructing  his  son-in-law  in  his  duties  as  judge.  Did  Moses 
first  learn  of  Jehovah  from  Jethro  and  the  Kenites  who  figure  in  later  Hebrew  history  as  wor- 
shippers of  the  same  God  as  the  Hebrews;  or  were  the  nomadic  ancestors  of  the  Israelites 
already  acquainted  with  him?  While  the  question  is  fundamental  in  estimating  the  real  work 
of  Moses  and  in  determining  the  origin  of  Israelitish  religion,  unfortunately  the  data  furnish  no 
conclusive  answer. 

e 425  The  Heb.  idiom,  touched  his  feet , is  evidently  here  used  (cf.  II  Kgs.  1827,  Is.  720,  3612 *) 
euphemistically  for  organs  of  generation.  The  act  was  intended  to  appease  the  Deity  by  con- 
forming to  the  ancient  rite  of  circumcision.  The  aim  of  this  very  primitive  tradition  seems  to 
have  been  not  to  trace  the  origin  of  circumcision,  which  by  the  prophetic  as  well  as  by  the  priest- 
ly writer  (§16)  is  attributed  to  a much  earlier  period,  but  to  explain  and  justify  its  transference 
from  the  marriage  period  to  infancy.  Cf.  W.  R.  Smith,  Religion  of  the  Semites , 2d  ed., 
p.  328;  Kent,  Message  of  Israel's  Lawgivers,  pp.  313-315. 

f 426  Heb.,  then  she  said.  The  verb,  however,  may  have  the  meaning  suggested  by  Bacon  in 
Triple  Tradition  of  the  Exodus,  p.  282,  and  given  above,  which  makes  the  passage  intelligible. 
Cf.  Gen.  2214,  § 23. 


The  di- 
vine rev- 
elation 
to  Moses 
and  his 
commis- 
sion 


155 


THE  DELIVERER  MOSES 


Ex.  33] 


[Ex.  36,  63 


Early  Judean 

the  thorn  bush  is  not  burned. 
4a’cAnd  when  Jehovah  saw  that  he 
turned  aside  to  see,  he  said  from 
the  midst  of  the  thorn  bush,  5Draw 
not  nigh  hither;  put  off  thy  sandals 
from  off  thy  feet,  for  the  place 
whereon  thou  standest  is  holy 
ground.  7And  Jehovah  said,  I 
have  surely  seen  the  affliction  of 
my  people  that  are  in  Egypt,  and 
have  heard  their  cry  of  anguish, 
because  of  their  taskmasters,  for  I 
know  their  sorrows;  8and  I am 
come  down  to  deliver  them  out  of 
the  power  of  the  Egyptians,  and  to 
bring  them  up  out  of  that  land  to  a 
land,  beautiful  and  broad,  to  a land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey; 
to  the  home  of  the  Canaanites,  the 
Hittites,  the  Amorites,  the  Perizzites, 
the  Hivites  and  the  Jebusites.s  ll’Go 
and  gather  the  elders  of  Israel  to- 
gether and  say  to  them,  Jehovah, 
the  God  of  your  fathers,  the  God 
of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob, 
hath  appeared  to  me,  saying,  I 
have  surely  visited  you,  and  seen 
that  which  is  done  to  you  in  Egypt; 
17and  I have  said  I will  bring  you 
up  out  of  the  affliction  of  Egypt 
to  the  land  of  the  Canaanites,  the  Hit- 
tites, the  Amorites,  the  Perizzites,  the 
Hivites,  and  the  Jebusites.e  to  a land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey. 
18And  they  shall  hearken  to  thy 
voice;  and  thou  shalt  come,  to- 
gether with  the  elders  of  Israel, 
to  the  king  of  Egypt,  and  ye  shall 
say  to  him,  ‘Jehovah,  the  God  of 
the  Hebrews  hath  appeared  to  us; 
and  now  let  us  go,  we  pray  thee, 
three  days’  journey  into  the  wilder- 
ness, that  we  may  sacrifice  to  Je- 
hovah our  God.’ 


Early  Ephraimite 
the  God  of  Isaac, 
and  the  God  of 
Jacob.  And  Moses 
hid  his  face ; for  he 
was  afraid  to  look 
upon  God.  9But 
God  said,  Now, 
behold  the  cry  of 
anguish  of  the  Is- 
raelites has  come 
to  me;  moreover  I 
have  seen  how 
sorely  the  Egyp- 
tians oppress  them . 
10Come  now,  there- 
fore, and  I will 
send  thee  to  Pha- 
raoh, that  thou 
mayest  bring  forth 
my  people  the 
Israelites  out  of 
Egypt.  11  But  Mo- 
ses said  to  God, 
Who  am  I,  that  I 
should  go  to  Pha- 
raoh, and  should 
bring  the  Israelites 
out  of  Egypt? 
12And  he  said  I 
will  surely  be  with 
thee;  and  this  shall 
be  the  sign  to  thee, 
that  I have  sent 
thee : when  thou 
shalt  have  brought 
forth  the  people 
out  of  Egypt,  ye 
shall  worship  God 
upon  this  moun- 
tain. 


Late  Priestly 
Almighty];  but  by 
my  name  Jehovah 
I did  not  reveal  my- 
self to  them.  4And 
I have  also  estab- 
lished my  cove- 
nant with  them,  to 
give  them  the  land 
of  Canaan,  the 
land  of  their  so- 
journings  wherein 
they  sojourned. 
5And  moreover  I 
have  heard  the 
groaning  of  the  Is- 
raelites, whom  the 
Egyptians  keep  in 
bondage;  and  I 
have  remembered 
my  covenant. 
6Therefore  say  to 
the  Israelites,  ‘I 
am  Jehovah,  and  I 
will  bring  you  out 
from  under  the 
burdens  of  the 
Egyptians,  and  I 
will  deliver  you 
from  their  forced 
labor,  and  I will 
redeem  you  with 
an  outstretched 
arm,  and  with 
mighty  judgments; 
7and  I will  take 
you  for  my  people, 
and  I will  be  to  you 
a God;  and  ye 
shall  know  that  I 
am  Jehovah  your 
God,  who  bringeth 
you  out  from  under 
the  burdens  of  the 
Egyptians.  8AndI 


g 38b,  nb  These  clauses  are  not  closely  connected  with  the  context,  and  are  identical  with  the 
editorial  additions  which  occur  frequently  throughout  Gen.  Cf.  Introd.,  pp.  36,  37. 


156 


MOSES’S  RETURN  TO  EGYPT 


Ex.  4* 1] 


[Ex.  313,  68 


Early  Judean 


4 1Then  Moses  answered  and 
said.  But,  behold,  they  will  not 
believe  me,  nor  hearken  to  my 
voice;  for  they  will  say,  ‘Jehovah 
hath  not  appeared  to  you.’  2And 
Jehovah  said  to  him.  What  is  that 
in  thy  hand?  And  he  said,  A 
staff.  3And  he  said,  Cast  it  on  the 
ground.  And  he  cast  it  on  the 
ground  and  it  became  a serpent  ; 
and  Moses  fled  from  before  it. 
4Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Put 
forth  thy  hand  and  take  it  by  the 
tail,  (and  he  put  forth  his  hand  and 
laid  hold  of  it,  and  it  became  a staff 
in  his  hand),  5that  they  may  believe 
that  Jehovah,  the  God  of  their 
fathers,  the  God  of  Abraham,  the 
God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob,  hath  appeared  to  thee. 
6And  Jehovah  said  furthermore  to 
him,  Put  now  thy  hand  into  thy 
bosom.  And  he  put  his  hand  into 
his  bosom ; and  when  he  took  it  out, 
behold,  his  hand  was  leprous,  as 
white  as  snow.  7And  he  said,  Put 
thy  hand  into  thy  bosom  again. 
(And  he  put  his  hand  into  his 
bosom  again;  and  when  he  took  it 
out  of  his  bosom,  behold,  it  had 
become  again  as  his  other  flesh). 


Early  Ephraimite 


3 13Then  Moses 
said  to  God,  Be- 
hold, if  I go  to  the 
Israelites  and  say 
to  them,  ‘The  God 
of  your  fathers 
hath  sent  me  to 
you,’  and  they  ask 
me,  ‘What  is  his 
name  ?’  what  shall 
I answer  them  ? 
14Then  God  said 
to  Moses, h I AM 
THAT  I AM;'  and 
he  said  thus  shalt 
thou  say  to  the  Is- 
raelites, ‘ I AM 
hath  sent  me  to 
you.’  15And  God 
also  said  to  Moses, 
Thus  shalt  thou  say 
to  the  Israelites, 
‘Jehovah,  the  God 
of  your  fathers, 
the  God  of  Abra- 
ham, the  God  of 
Isaac,  and  the  God 
of  Jacob,  hath 
sent  me  to  you;’ 
this  is  my  name 
forever,  and  by 


Late  Priestly 
will  bring  you  to 
the  land  which  I 
sware  to  give  to 
Abraham,  to  Isaac 
and  to  Jacob;  and 
I will  give  it  to  you 
as  a heritage ; I am 
Jehovah.’ 

9Then  Moses 
spoke  thus  to  the 
Israelites;  but  they 
hearkened  not  to 
Moses  for  lack  of 
courage,!  and  be- 
cause of  the  hard 
forced  labor. 

10Therefore  Je- 
hovah commanded 
Moses,  saying, 
nGo  in,  speak  to 
Pharaoh  king  of 
Egypt,  that  he  let 
the  Israelites  go 
out  of  his  land. 
l2But  Moses  spoke 
before  Jehovah, 
saying,  Behold,  the 
Israelites  have  not 
hearkened  to  me; 
how  then  shall 
Pharaoh  hear  me, 
who  am  not  skill- 
edk  in  speaking?1 
7 ]Then  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  See, 
I have  made  thee  as 
a god  to  Pharaoh; 
and  Aaron  thy 
brother  shall  be 


h 314  This  verse  is  by  many  regarded  as  an  editorial  addition,  15  giving  the  answer  to  13. 

* 314  Or,  I am  who  I am,  or,  I am  because  I am,  or,  I will  be  that  I will  be,  a popular  etymology 
of  Jehovah  or  Yahweh,  apparently  derived  from  the  verb  to  be,  and  therefore  signifying,  He  who 
exists,  or  He  who  causes  to  be,  i.  e.,  the  Creator.  Although  the  original  derivation  of  the  name 
of  Israel’s  God  is  still  in  doubt,  this  popular  etymology  aptly  expresses  the  later  exalted  pro- 
phetic conception  of  Jehovah. 

i 69  Heb.,  shortness  of  spirit.  k 612  Heb.,  of  uncircumcised  lips. 

1 612  The  remainder  of  6 seems  to  be  a late  editorial  addition.  The  continuation  of  612  is  71. 

013.  28-30  are  but  amplifications  of  1°-12.  They  with  26 • 27  are  apparently  intended  to  furnish  a 

setting  for  the  genealogy  of  14_27.  Vss.  14>  15  are  practical  repetitions  of  Gen.  469-10. 

157 


His  hesi- 
tation 
and  Je- 
hovah’s 
assur- 
ances 
and  ap- 
point- 
ment of 
Aaron  as 
his 

spokes- 

man 


Ex.  48] 


THE  DELIVERER  MOSES 


[Ex.  315,  71 


Early  Judean 

8And  then,  if  they  will  not  believe 
thee,  nor  hearken  to  the  testimony 
of  the  first  sign,  they  will  believe 
the  testimony  of  the  other.  9But 
if  they  will  not  believe  even  these 
two  signs,  nor  hearken  to  thy  testi- 
mony, thou  shalt  take  of  the  water 
of  the  Nile,  and  pour  it  upon  the 
dry  land ; and  the  water  which  thou 
takest  out  of  the  Nile  shall  become 
blood  upon  the  dry  land. 

10Then  Moses  said  to  Jehovah, 
Oh,  Lord,  I am  not  eloquent,  nei- 
ther before  nor  since  thou  hast  spo- 
ken to  thy  servant;  for  I am  slow 
of  speech,  and  slow  of  utterance. 
11Then  Jehovah  said  to  him,  Who 
hath  given  a man  a mouth  ? or  who 
maketh  one  dumb,  or  deaf,  or  see- 
ing, or  blind  ? is  it  not  I,  Jehovah  ? 
12Now  therefore  go,  and  I will  be 
with  thy  mouth,  and  teach  thee 
what  thou  shalt  speak.  1:-!But  he  said, 
O,  Lord,  send,  I pray  thee,  by  whomso- 
ever else  thou  wilt".  14Then  Jehovah 
was  angry  with  Moses,  and  he  said,  Is 
there  not  Aaron  thy  brother,  the  Levite  ?° 
I know  that  he  can  speak  well.  And 
also  he  is  just  coming  out  to  meet  thee ; 
and  when  he  sees  thee  he  will.be  glad  in 
his  heart.  16And  thou  shalt  speak  to 
him,  and  put  the  words  in  his  mouth ; 
and  I will  be  with  thy  mouth  and  with 
his  mouth,  and  will  teach  you  both  what 
ye  shall  do.  16Thus  he  shall  speak  for 
thee  to  the  people,  and  he  shall  be  a 
spokesman  for  thee ; but  thou  shalt  be 
to  him  as  God.P 

29So  Moses  and  Aaron  went  and 
gathered  together  all  the  elders  of 


Early  Ephraimite  Late  Priestly 


this  shall  I be  re- 
membered from 
generation  to  gen- 
eration. 19But  I 
know  that  the  king 
of  Egypt  will  not 
give  you  leave  to 
go,  unless  com- 
pelled by  a mighty 
power.m  ^There- 
fore I will  put  forth 
my  hand,  and 
smite  Egypt  with 
all  my  wonders 
which  I will  do  in 
its  midst;  and  after 
that  he  will  let  you 
go.  21And  I will 
give  this  people 
favor  in  the  sight 
of  the  Egyptians; 
so  that  when  ye  go, 
ye  shall  not  go 
empty ; 22but  every 
woman  shall  ask  of 
her  neighbor  and 
of  her  that  resides 
in  her  house,  jewels 
of  silver  and  jewels 
of  gold,  and  cloth- 
ing, and  ye  shall 
put  them  upon 

your  sons  and  upon  L 

your  daughters;  thus  ye  shall  despoil  the 
Egyptians.  417And  thou  shalt  take  in 


thyprophet 2 Thou 
shalt  speak  all  that 
I command  thee; 
and  Aaron  thy 
brother  shall  speak 
to  Pharaoh,  that 
he  let  the  Israelites 
go  out  of  his  land. 
3But  I will  harden 
Pharaoh’s  heart, 
and  make  my  signs 
and  my  wonders 
many  in  the  land 
of  Egypt.  Never- 
theless Pharaoh 
will  not  hearken  to 
you.  Then  I will 
lay  my  hand  upon 
Egypt  and  bring 
forth  my  hosts,  my 
people  the  Israel- 
ites, out  of  the  land 
of  Egypt  by  great 
judgments.  5And 
the  Egyptians  shall 
know  that  I am 
Jehovah,  when  I 
stretch  forth  my 
hand  upon  Egypt, 
and  bring  out  the 
Israelites  from 
among  them. 


m 3’9  Gk.,  except.  Heb.,  lit.,  by  a strong  hand,  so  61,  139,  3211,  Num.  2220. 

■41!  Heb.,6i/  the  hand  o j him  whom  thou  wouldest  send . Gk.,  choose  another  more  capable 
whom  thou  wilt  send. 

0 414  Terms  priest  and  Levite  are  evidently  here  used  as  identical,  as  in,  e.  g.,  Dt.  181  and  in 
all  the  pre-exilic  literature. 

p 413-16  Most  authorities  regard  these  verses  as  an  addition  from  the  editor  who  originally 
combined  the  two  prophetic  narratives,  his  object  being  to  prepare  for  the  introduction  of 
Aaron  in  the  subsequent  Judean  plague  stories,  where  his  name  is  generally  recognized  as  a later 
addition.  Cf.  § 69,  notes.  In  both  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  narratives  Moses  himself  speaks 
directly  to  Pharaoh.  It  is  only  in  the  late  priestly  that  Aaron,  who  there  represents  the  Israel- 
itish  priesthood,  assumes  the  leading  r61e,  § 64  ff . Furthermore  in  the  early  Ephraimite  Joshua, 
not  Aaron,  ministers  at  the  tent  of  meeting,  Ex.  3311,  §79.  The  plain  inference,  therefore, 
seems  to  be  that  in  the  oldest  prophetic  traditions  Aaron  figured  simply  as  the  brother  of  Moses, 
to  whom  authority  was  intrusted  in  the  absence  of  the  great  leader,  and  who  perhaps  announced 
Moses’s  proclamations  to  the  people. 


158 


MOSES’S  RETURN  TO  EGYPT 


[Ex.  417 


Ex.  429] 

Early  Judean 

the  Israelites ; 30and  Aaron  spoke  all 
the  words  which  Jehovah  had 
spoken  to  Moses,  and  did  the  signs 
in  the  sight  of  the  people.  31  And 
the  people  believed ; and  when  they 
heard  that  Jehovah  had  visited 
the  Israelites,  and  that  he  had  seen 
their  affliction,  they  bowed  low 
their  heads  in  worship. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 

thy  hand  this  staff,  with  which  thou  shalt 
do  the  signs. 

18Then  Moses  went  back  to  Jethro^ 
his  father-in-law,  and  said  to  him,  Let 
me  go  again,  I pray  you,  to  my  kinsmen 
in  Egypt  to  see  whether  they  are  still 
alive.  Jethro  answered  Moses,  Go  in 
peace.  20bAnd  Moses  took  the  staff  of 
God  in  his  hand.  21And  Jehovah  said  to 
Moses,  When  thou  goest  back  to  Egypt,  see  that 
thou  do  before  Pharaoh  all  the  wonders  which 
I have  placed  in  thy  power ; but  I will  harden 
his  heart  and  he  will  not  let  the  people  go. 
27Then  Jehovah  said  to  Aaron,  Go  into 
the  wilderness  to  meet  Moses.  And  he 
went  and  met  him  in  the  mountain  of 
God,  and  kissed  him.  28 And  Moses  told 
Aaron  all  the  words  of  Jehovah  which 
he  had  sent  him  to  declare,  and  all  the 
signs  which  he  had  commanded  him 
to  do. 


§ 62.  The  Demand  that  Pharaoh  Allow  the  Hebrews  to  Depart,  Ex.  fi'-fi1,  76’1 


Early  Judean 

Ex.  5 Now  Moses  and  Aaron 
came  to  Pharaoh  3and  said,  The 
God  of  the  Hebrews  hath  met  with 
us;r  let  us  go,  we  pray,  three  days 
journey  into  the  wilderness  that  we 
may  sacrifice  to  Jehovah  our  God; 
lest  he  fall  upon  us  with  pestilence 
or  with  the  sword.  5But  Pharaoh 
said,  Behold,  the  people  of  the  land 
are  now  many,  and  would  you 
make  them  rest  from  their  tasks? 
6And  the  same  day  Pharaoh  com- 
manded the  taskmasters  who  were 
over  the  people,  and  their  overseerss, 
saying,  7 You  shall  no  longer  give 
the  people  straw  to  make  brick, 


Early  Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

5 xAfterward 
Moses  and  Aaron 
came,  and  said  to 
Pharaoh,  Thus 
saith  Jehovah,  the 
God  of  Israel,  ‘ Let 
my  people  go  that 
they  may  hold  a 
feast  unto  me  in  the 
wilderness.’  2But 
Pharaoh  said,  Who 
is  Jehovah,  that 
I should  hearken 
to  his  command  to 
let  Israel  go  ? I do 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

7 6Then  Moses  Pha- 
and  Aaron  did  refusal 
even  as  Jehovah  Moses's 
commanded  them.  deraand 
7And  Moses  was 
eighty  years  old, 
and  Aaron  eighty- 
three  when  they 
spoke  to  Pharaoh. 


i 4'8  Heb.,  J ether.  Cf.  3b 

§ 62  The  priestly  account  of  the  first  interview  with  Pharaoh  7°-  7,  is  very  brief.  In  5 are 
found  two  duplicate  versions  which  correspond  in  detail  to  the  divine  commands  and  pre- 
dictions in  § 61.  E.  g.,  63  is  the  fulfilment  of  31S.  The  Ephraimite  version  here  is  also  very 
brief.  510-6*  is  evidently  the  continuation  of  the  Judean  story.  Cf.,  e.  (/.,  I11  ■ 12. 
r 53  Gk.,  called  to  us. 

"58’1U  The  overseers  are  first  described  in  514,so  that  their  introduction  in  these  earlier  pas- 
sages is  probably  the  work  of  an  editor. 


159 


THE  DELIVERER  MOSES 


[Ex.  52 


Added 
oppres- 
sion of 
the  Is- 
raelites 


Com- 
plaints 
of  their 
over- 
seers 


Moses’s 

com- 

plaint 


Jeho- 

vah’s 

reassur- 

ance 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 

not  know  Jehovah,  and,  moreover,  I 
will  not  let  Israel  go.  4The  king  of 
Egypt  also  said  to  them,  Why  do  you, 
Moses  and  Aaron,  draw  away  the 
people  from  their  labors?  Away  to 
your  tasks. 


Ex.  57] 

Early  Judean 

as  heretofore;  let  them  go  and 
gather  straw  for  themselves.  8But 
the  fixed  number  of  bricks  which 
they  have  been  making  hereto- 
fore, you  shall  lay  upon  them ; you 
shall  not  diminish  it  at  all,  for  they 
are  lazy ; that  is  why  they  cry  aloud, 
saying,  ‘Let  us  go  and  sacrifice  to 
our  God.’  9 Let  heavier  work  be 
laid  upon  the  men,  that  they  may 
labor  therein  and  that  they  may 
not  regard  lying  words. 

1 "Therefore  the  taskmasters  of  the  people  went  out,  and  their  overseers  and 
spoke  to  the  people,  saying,  Thus  saith  Pharaoh,  I will  no  longer  give  you 
straw.  11  Go  yourselves,  get  straw  wherever  you  can  find  it;  for  none  of 
your  work  shall  be  diminished.  12So  the  people  were  scattered  abroad 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt  to  gather  stubble  for  straw.  13And  the 
taskmasters  were  urgent,  saying,  You  must  complete  your  daily  work,  just  as 
when  there  was  straw.  14And  the  overseers  of  the  Israelites,  whom  Pha- 
raoh’s taskmasters  had  set  over  them,  were  beaten,  and  asked,  Why  have 
you  not  completed  to-day  as  yesterday  your  prescribed  task  in  making  brick? 

15Then  the  overseers  of  the  Israelites  came  and  complained  to  Pharaoh, 
saying,  Why  do  you  deal  thus  with  your  servants?  16There  is  no  straw 
given  to  your  servants,  and  yet  they  are  saying  to  us,  ‘Make  bricks,’  and  now 
your  servants  are  being  beaten;  and  you  wrong  your  people.*  17But  he  said, 
You  are  lazy,  you  are  lazy;  therefore  you  say,  ‘Let  us  go  and  sacrifice  to 
Jehovah.’  18Go  at  once  to  work,  for  no  straw  shall  be  given  to  you,  yet 
you  must  deliver  the  required  number  of  bricks.  19 And  the  overseers  of 
the  Israelites  saw  that  they  were  in  an  evil  plight,  when  it  was  said,  You  shall 
not  diminish  anything  from  your  daily  total  of  bricks.  20And  they  met 
Moses  and  Aaron,  who  had  stationed  themselves  there  to  meet  them  as 
they  came  forth  from  Pharaoh,  21and  they  said  to  them,  Let  Jehovah  regard 
and  pronounce  judgment;  because  you  have  made  us  odious11  in  the  eyes  of 
Pharaoh  and  in  the  eyes  of  his  courtiers  in  that  you  have  put  a sword  in  their 
hand  to  slay  us. 

22Then  Moses  turned  again  to  Jehovah,  and  said,  Lord,  Why  hast  thou 
brought  calamity  upon  this  people?  why  is  it  that  thou  hast  sent  me?  23For 
since  I came  to  Pharaoh  to  speak  in  thy  name,  he  has  dealt  ill  with  this 
people;  and  thou  hast  not  dehvered  thy  people  at  all. 

6 'Then  Jehovah  answered  Moses,  Now  thou  shalt  see  what  I will  do  to 
Pharaoh ; for,  compelled  by  a mighty  power ,v  he  shall  assuredly  let  them  go, 
yea,  compelled  by  a mighty  power,  he  shall  drive  them  out  of  his  land. 


* 516  Heb.  text  obscure.  Gk.  is  followed  above.  Other  possible  reading,  the  fault  is  in 
your  own  people. 

u 521  Heb.,  our  savor  to  be  abhorred. 

» 61  Heb.,  by  a strong  hand.  So  319. 


160 


II 


PLAGUES  AND  WONDERS  PRELIMINARY  TO  THE  DE- 
PARTURE OF  THE  HEBREWS  FROM  EGYPT, 

Ex.  78-121_13'  21’23-  27b-36 

§ 63.  Changing  Aaron’s  Staff  into  a Serpent,  Ex.  78-13 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Ex.  7 8Then  Jehovah  commanded  Moses  and  Aaron,  9WThen  Pharaoh  Presen-^ 
shall  speak  to  you  saying,  ‘Show  a wonder’;  thou  shalt  say  to  Aaron,  ‘Take  creden- 
thy  staff  and  throw  it  down  before  Pharaoh,  that  it  become  a serpent.’  10And  the  first 
when  Moses  and  Aaron  went  in  to  Pharaoh,  they  did  as  Jehovah  had  com-  wou 
manded;  and  Aaron  threw  down  his  staff  before  Pharaoh  and  his  courtiers, 
and  it  became  a serpent. 

11Then  Pharaoh  also  called  for  the  wise  men  and  the  sorcerers;  and  they  Fha- 
also  (the  magicians  of  Egypt)  did  the  same  with  their  secret  arts.  12For  stub- 
each  man  threw  down  his  staff,  and  they  became  serpents;  but  Aaron’s  staff 
swallowed  up  their  staves.  ^Nevertheless  Pharaoh’s  heart  remained  hard- 
ened, and,  as  Jehovah  had  predicted,  he  did  not  hearken  to  them. 


Plagues  and  Wonders. — The  evidence  for  the  analysis  of  this  portion  of  Ex.  is  so  obvi- 
ous and  convincing  that  he  who  runs  may  read.  At  the  same  time  it  explains  the  many  in- 
consistencies which  appear  in  the  text  as  it  stands.  Each  group  of  narratives  has  its  striking 
peculiarities  in  phraseology  and  representation,  which  constantly  recur.  In  the  priestly  tradi- 
tions it  is  Aaron  who  with  his  staff  performs  the  wonders  before  Pharaoh,  whose  heart,  however, 
is  each  time  hardened,  as  Jehovah  had  predicted,  74.  At  first,  7S~13  22,  the  magicians  succeed  in  imi- 
tating Aaron,  but  their  arts  fail  to  reproduce  the  later  signs.  In  another  group  the  character- 
istics of  the  Ephraimite  narratives  appear:  Moses  himself  wields  the  staff,  7i;i-20b,  922.  23,  1012 ■ 13’ 21; 
he  says  nothing  to  Pharaoh,  but  simply  acts;  Aaron  is  not  mentioned;  the  Israelites  are  scattered 
throughout  Egypt,  1021-23. 

The  most  prominent  characteristics  of  the  Judean  group  are:  the  interviews  in  which  the 
demand  is  reiterated  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  that  the  Israelites  be  allowed  to  depart  that  they 
may  worship  him;  Pharaoh’s  refusal  of  attempts  to  effect  a compromise;  announcement  by 
Moses  of  the  plagues  which  Jehovah  himself  brings  upon  the  Egyptians;  Israelites  are  unaffected 
by  the  flies  and  hail,  822,  926,  because  they  live  apart  in  the  land  of  Goshen;  Pharaoh’s  repeated 
requests  that  Moses  make  supplication  to  Jehovah  that  he  remove  the  plague;  Pharaoh’s  heart 
still  stubborn;  unprecedented  nature  of  the  plagues;  marks  of  time,  to-morrow,  810'  23 - 24 , 95,  104. 
In  the  light  of  these  and  additional  linguistic  peculiarities  the  separation  of  the  different 
strands  is  perfectly  clear.  In  the  process  of  amalgamation  the  Ephraimite  narratives  have 
evidently  in  some  cases  been  abbreviated  or  omitted. 

It  is  significant  that  in  the  oldest  form  of  the  traditions  the  plagues  are  simply  unprecedented 
natural  phenomena,  some  of  which  are  peculiar  to  Egypt.  It  is  only  in  the  late  priestly  that 
the  supernatural  element  becomes  exceedingly  prominent.  These  stories  furnish  a most  in- 
structive illustration  of  the  growth  of  tradition.  Back  of  the  oldest  narratives  are  undoubtedly 
a series  of  calamities,  which  were  remembered  by  the  Israelites  in  later  generations  in  the  form 
in  which  we  find  them  in  the  O.T.  Some  of  the  calamities,  which  in  the  years  succeeding 
the  reign  of  the  great  Raineses  II  and  his  son,  overtook  the  Egyptians,  are  recorded  in  their 
writings:  civil  war,  foreign  invaders  and  the  plagues  which  inevitably  follow  in  their  train. 
Underlying  these  O.T.  traditions  is  the  essential  historical  fact  that  Jehovah  was  the  source  of 
all  political  and  natural  phenomena  and  that  each  of  these  contributed  to  the  realization  of  his 
purpose  in  human  history.  It  was  to  illustrate  and  emphasize  this  eternal  truth  that  Israel’s 
prophets  and  priests  gathered  these  varied  traditions  of  their  race  and , intent  that  none  should 
be  lost,  wove  them  together  in  their  present  form.  For  distribution  of  traditions  among 
different  versions,  cf.  Table  of  Contents. 

§ 63  This  section  illustrates  the  characteristics  of  the  priestly  accounts  of  the  wonders. 


161 


Ex.  714] 


PLAGUES  AND  WONDERS 


[Ex.  715’  » 


§ 64.  Plagues  upon  the  Waters,  Ex.  7U*24 


Early  Judean 

Jeho-  Ex.  7 14Then  Jehovah 
warning  said  to  Moses,  Pharaoh’s 
raoh  d heart  is  stubborn ; he  re- 
fuses to  let  the  people 
go.  16But  thou  shalt  say 
to  him,  ‘Jehovah,  the 
God  of  the  Hebrews, 
hath  sent  me  to  thee  to 
say,  “Let  my  people  go 
that  they  may  worship 
me  in  the  wilderness ; but 
hitherto  thou  hast  not 
hearkened.  17aThus  saith 
Jehovah,  In  this  thou 
shalt  know  that  I am  Je- 
hovah;13 behold,  I will 
smite,  18and  the  fish  that 
are  in  the  Nile  shall  die, 
and  the  Nile  shall  become 
foul,  so  the  Egyptians  will 
become  weary  of  drinking 
water  from  the  Nile.”  ’ 
Jeho-  Thereupon  Jehovah 
turning  smote  the  Nile,  21aand  the 
ter  ofa  fish  that  were  in  the  Nile 
SteoNile  died,  and  the  Nile  be- 
bi°°d  became  foul,  so  that  the 
Egyptians  could  not 
drink  the  water  from 
the  Nile.  24And  all  the 
Egyptians  dug  round 
about  the  Nile  for  water 
to  drink;  for  they  could 
not  drink  the  water  of 
the  Nile. 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic 

7 Then  J ehovah  said 
to  Moses,  15Go  to  Pha- 
raoh early  in  the  morn- 
ing, just  as  he  is  going 
out  on  the  water.  And 
thou  shalt  stand  by 
the  bank  of  the  Nile  to 
meet  him ; and  the  staff 
which  was  turned  into  a 
serpent1  shalt  thou  take 
in  thy  hand.  17bSmite 
with  the  staff  that  is  in 
thy°  hand  upon  the 
waters  which  are  in  the 
Nile,  and  they  shall  be 
turned  to  blood. 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

7 19Then  Jehovah  Jeho- 
said  to  Moses,  Say  to  com-3 
Aaron,  ‘Take  thy  staff  t0 
and  stretch  out  thy  ters"^ 
hand  over  the  waters  of 
Egypt,  over  their  rivers, 
over  their  canals,  and 
over  their  pools,  and 
over  all  their  reser- 
voirs, that  they  may  be- 
come blood’;  and  there 
shall  be  blood  through- 
out all  the  land  of 
Egypt,  both  in  vessels 
of  wood  and  in  vessels 
of  stone. 


20bSo  he  lifted  up 
the  staff  and  smote  the 
waters  that  were  in  the 
Nile  in  the  sight  of 
Pharaoh  and  his  court- 
iers; and  all  the  waters 
that  were  in  the  Nile 
were  turned  to  blood. 
23 And  Pharaoh  turned 
and  went  into  his  house, 
but  he  did  not  take 
even  this  to  heart.4 


20aSo  Moses  and  The 

* i*i*i  t second 

Aaron  did  just  as  Je-  wonder 

h o v a h commanded. 

21bAnd  the  blood  was 

throughout  all  the  land 

of  Egypt.  22But  the 

magicians  did  the  same 

with  their  secret  arts, 

so  that  Pharaoh’s  heart  Pha- 
• iii  i raoh's 
remained  hardened,  stub- 
i t i i i j bornness 

and,  as  Jehovah  had 

predicted,  he  did  not 
hearken  to  them. 


§ 64  Cf.  introd.  note  § 63. 

» 7I6b  Probably  added  by  an  editor  familiar  with  the  priestly  story,  § 63,  although  it  is  pos- 
sible that  the  Ephraimite  narratives  originally  had  a similar  tradition  which  has  been  lost. 
b 7Wl  Possibly  an  editorial  addition.  Cf.  §69,  note  p. 
c 717b  Heb.,  by  attraction,  my. 
d Ta  Heb.,  put  to  his  heart. 


162 


Jeho- 

vah’s 

second 

warning 


Pha- 

raoh’s 

request 


His 

perfidy 


Ex.  725]  PLAGUE  OF  FROGS  [Ex.  85 


65.  Plague  of  Frogs,  Ex.  725-816 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Ex.  7 25When  seven  full  days  had  passed  after 
Jehovah  had  smitten  the  Nile,  8 Jehovah  com- 
manded Moses,  Go  in  to  Pharaoh,  and  say  to 
him,  ‘Thus  saith  Jehovah,  “Let  my  people  go 
that  they  may  worship  me.  2And  if  thou  refuse 
to  let  them  go,  then  I will  smite  all  thy  territory 
with  frogs;  3and  the  Nile  shall  swarm  with  frogs 
which  shall  go  up  and  come  into  thy  house,  and 
into  thy  bedchamber,  and  upon  thy  bed,  and  into 
the  house  of  thy  courtiers,  and  upon  thy  people, 
and  into  thine  ovens  and  kneading-troughs;  4and 
the  frogs  shall  come  up  even  upon  thee  and  thy 
people  and  all  thy  courtiers.”  ’ Thereupon  Jeho- 
vah smote  the  land  of  Egypt  with  frogs. 

8Then  Pharaoh  called  for  Moses  and  Aaron  ,e 
and  said,  Make  supplication  to  Jehovah,  that  he 
may  take  away  the  frogs  from  me,  and  my  people; 
then  I will  let  the  people  go,  that  they  may  sacri- 
fice to  Jehovah.  9And  Moses  said  to  Pharaoh, 
Will  you  graciously  inform  mef  at  what  time  I shall 
make  supplication  in  your  behalf  and  in  behalf 
of  your  courtiers  and  people,  that  the  frogs  be 
destroyed  from  your  palaces  and  be  left  only  in 
the  Nile?  10 And  he  answered,  To-morrow.  Then 
Moses  said,  Be  it  as  you  say;  that  you  may  know 
that  there  is  none  like  Jehovah  our  God,  e J1The 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

8 5Then  Jehovah  said  The 
to  Moses,  Say  to  Aaron,  wonder 
‘Stretch  forth  thy  hand 
with  thy  staff  over  the 
rivers,  over  the  canals, 
and  over  the  pools,  and 
cause  frogs  to  come  up  on 
the  land  of  Egypt.’  6So 
Aaron  stretched  out  his 
hand  over  the  waters  of 
Egypt ; and  the  frogs  came 
up,  and  covered  the  land 
of  Egypt. 

'But  the  magicians  did  Pha- 
the  same  with  their  secret  stub- 
arts,  and  brought  up  frogs  ness 
upon  the  land  of  Egypt, 

15bso  that,  as  Jehovah  had 
predicted.  Pharaoh  did 
not  hearken  to  [Moses  and 
Aaron]. 


frogs  shall  depart  from  you,  and  from  your 
palaces,  from  your  courtiers  and  people,  they 
shall  be  left  only  in  the  Nile. 

12Then  when  Moses  and  Aaron  had  gone  out 
from  Pharaoh,  Moses  cried  to  Jehovah  in  regard 
to  the  frogs  which  he  had  brought  upon  Pharaoh. 
13And  Jehovah  did  according  to  the  word  of 
Moses;  and  the  frogs  died  out  of  the  houses,  out 
of  the  courts,  and  out  of  the  fields.  14And  they 
gathered  them  together  into  innumerable  heaps; 
and  the  land  was  filled  with  a vile  odor.  15aBut 
when  Pharaoh  saw  that  a respite  had  come,  he 
hardened  his  heart. 


§ 65  Cf.  introd.  note  § 63. 

* 8*  Moses  figures  as  the  spokesman  in  the  Judean  narratives.  The  name  of  Aaron  may 
nave  been  introduced  by  a later  editor,  who  was  familiar  with  the  other  parallels,  #f.  § 69, 
note  <i . 

1 8;>  Heb.,  Glorify  thyself  over  me.  Cf.  Is.  4423  , 493,  6021,  613.  Clearly  used  here  not  in  an 
abject  or  ironical  sense,  but  for  politeness. 

8 g'°b  The  advanced  monotheism  of  this  verse  strongly  suggests  a later  age  than  the  orig- 
inal narrative  in  which  it  is  found.  It  is  not  closely  connected  with  the  context.  Cf.  § 69, 
noteP. 


163 


Ex.  820] 


PLAGUES  AND  WONDERS 


[Ex.  8* 1® 


Jeho- 
vah’s 
third 
warning 
and  the 
sequel 


Pha- 

raoh’s 

consent 

and 

request 


§ 66.  Plagues  of  Insects,  Ex.  816-32 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Ex.  8 20Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Rise  up 
early  in  the  morning,  and  stand  before  Pharaoh, 
just  as  he  goes  out  to  the  water  and  say  to  him, 
‘Thus  saith  Jehovah,  “Let  my  people  go  that 
they  may  worship  me.  21For  if  thou  wilt  not  let 
my  people  go,  then  I will  send  swarms  of  gad- 
flies upon  thee,  thy  courtiers,  and  thy  people,  and 
into  thy  palaces,  so  that  the  houses  of  the  Egyp- 
tians shall  be  full  of  swarms  of  gad-flies,  as  well 
as  the  ground  whereon  they  are.  22 And  I will  set 
apart  in  that  day  the  land  of  Goshen,  in  which 
my  people  dwell,  so  that  no  swarms  of  gad-flies 
shall  be  there,  in  order  that  thou  mayest  know  that  I 
am  Jehovah  in  the  midst  of  the  earth.1*  23And  I will 
put  a division1  between  my  people  and  thy  peo- 
ple; by  to-morrow  shall  this  sign  be.”  ’ 24 And  Je- 
hovah did  so;  and  there  came  troublesome 
swarms  of  gad-flies  into  the  palace  of  Pharaoh; 
and  in  all  Egypt  the  land  was  ruined  because 
of  the  swarms  of  gad-flies. 

25Then  Pharaoh  summoned  Moses  and  Aaron, 
and  said,  Go,  sacrifice  to  your  God  here  in  this 
land.  26But  Moses  said,  It  is  not  advisable  so  to 
do;  for  we  shall  sacrifice  to  Jehovah  our  God  that 
which  the  Egyptians  abhor;  if  now  we  sacrifice 
before  their  eyes  that  which  the  Egyptians  abhor, 
will  they  not  stone  us?  27We  wish  to  go  three 
days’  journey  in  the  wilderness  and  sacrifice  to 
Jehovah  our  God,  as  he  shall  command  usJ 
28 And  Pharaoh  said,  I will  let  you  go,  that  you 
may  sacrifice  to  Jehovah  your  God  in  the  wilder- 
ness; only  you  shall  not  go  very  far  away.  Make 
supplication  in  my  behalf.  29 And  Moses  said, 
I am  now  going  out  from  you  and  I will  make 
supplication  to  Jehovah  that  the  swarms  of  gad- 
flies may  depart  from  Pharaoh,  from  his  courtiers 
and  people  to-morrow ; only  let  not  Pharaoh  again 
deal  deceitfully  by  refusing  to  let  the  people  go 
to  sacrifice  to  Jehovah. 

30So  Moses  went  out  from  Pharaoh  and  made 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 
8 16Then  Jehovah  com-  The 
manded  Moses,  Say  to  wonder 
Aaron,  ‘Stretch  out  thy 
staff  and  smite  the  dust  of 
the  earth,  that  it  may  be- 
come lice  throughout  all 
the  land  of  Egypt.’  17And 
they  did  so;  and  Aaron 
stretched  out  his  hand 
with  his  staff,  and  smote 
the  dust  of  the  earth  and 
there  were  lice  upon  man 
and  upon  beast;  all  the 
dust  of  the  earth  became 
lice  throughout  all  the 
land  of  Egypt. 


18Then  the  magicians  Pha- 
endeavored  likewise  with  stub-3 
their  secret  arts  to  bring  bornne8B 
forth  lice,  but  they  could 
not.  Lice,  however,  were 
upon  man,  and  upon 
beast.  19Then  the  magi- 
cians said  to  Pharaoh, 

This  is  the  finger  of  God. 

But  as  Jehovah  had  pre- 
dicted, Pharaoh’s  heart 
was  hardened,  and  he 
hearkened  not  to  them. 


§ 66  Cf.  introd.  note  § 63. 

h 822  An  unusual  expression.  Jehovah  is  probably  for  Adonai , Lord.  Like  the  similar 
passages  in  these  narratives  this  is  probably  a later  addition. 

* 823  Heb.,  meaning  doubtful,  possibly,  redemption.  Gk.,  Syr.,  and  Lat.,  division. 

i 827  Gk.,  has  said.  Cf.  318,  53  (from  the  Judean  source).  But  cf.  also  1028. 

164 


His  re- 
peated 
perfidy 


Jeho- 
vah’s 
fourth 
warning 
and  the 
sequel 


Ex.  830]  PLAGUES  OF  INSECTS  [Ex.  98 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

supplication  to  Jehovah.  31  And  Jehovah  did 
according  to  the  word  of  Moses;  and  he  removed 
the  swarms  of  gad-flies  from  Pharaoh,  from  his 
courtiers  and  people,  until  not  one  was  left. 

32But  Pharaoh  was  stubborn  in  heart  this  time 
also,  and  he  did  not  let  the  people  go. 


§ 67.  Plagues  upon  Man  and  Beast,  Ex.  91-13 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Ex.  9 1Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Go  in  to 
Pharaoh  and  tell  him,  ‘Thus  saith  Jehovah  the 
God  of  the  Hebrews,  “Let  my  people  go  that 
they  may  worship  me.  2For  if  thou  refuse  to 
let  them  go  and  still  boldest  them,  3then  will  the 
hand  of  Jehovah  be  upon  thy  cattle  which  are  in 
the  field,  upon  the  horses,  the  asses,  the  camels, 
the  herds  and  the  flocks,  in  the  form  of  a very 
severe  pest.  4But  Jehovah  will  make  a distinc- 
tion between  the  cattle  of  Israel  and  the  cattle  of 
Egypt,  and  nothing  shall  die  of  all  that  belongs 
to  the  Israelites.”  ’ Accordingly  Jehovah  ap- 
pointed a set  time,  saying,  To-morrow  Jehovah 
shall  do  this  in  the  land.  6 And  Jehovah  did  that 
thing  on  the  morrow : and  all  the  cattle  of  Egypt 
died;  but  of  the  cattle  of  the  Israelites  none 
died.  7Then  Pharaoh  sent  and  found  that  not 
even  one  of  the  cattle  of  the  Israelites  was  dead. 
But  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  was  stubborn  and  he 
did  not  let  the  people  go. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

9 8Then  Jehovah  said  The  fifth 
to  Moses  and  to  Aaron,  woader 
Take  handfuls  of  furnace- 
soot,  and  let  Moses  sprin- 
kle it  toward  heaven  in  the 
sight  of  Pharaoh.  9Thusit 
shall  fall  as  fine  dust  over 
all  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
shall  become  a boil.break- 
ing  forth  with  blisters 
upon  both  man  and  beast 
throughout  all  the  land  of 
Egypt.  10So  they  took  of 
the  furnace-soot,  and 
stood  before  Pharaoh; 
and  Moses  sprinkled  it 
toward  heaven ; and  it  be- 
came a boil,  breaking 
forth  with  blisters  upon 
both  man  and  beast. 
uThen  the  magicians 
could  not  stand  before 
Moses  because  of  the 
boils;  for  the  boils  were 
upon  the  magicians  and 
upon  all  the  Egyptians. 

12But  Jehovah  hardened  Pha- 
the  heart  of  Pharaoh,  and,  stub- 
as  Jehovah  had  predicted  bornness 
to  Moses,  he  hearkened 
not  to  them. 


§ 67  Cf.  inf  rod.  note  § 63. 


165 


Ex.  913] 


PLAGUES  AND  WONDERS 


[Ex.  922 


§ 68.  Plague  of  Hail,  Ex.  913~35 


Early  Judean 

The  fifth  Ex.  9 13Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Rise  up 

warning  , . , . ’ 1 

sequel6  earv  m ttie  morning,  and  stand  before  Pharaoh, 
and  say  to  him,  ‘Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  God  of 
the  Hebrews,  “Let  my  people  go,  that  they  may 
worship  me.  uFor  I will  this  time  send  all  my  plagues 
upon  thy  heart,  and  upon  thy  courtiers  and  people  ; that 
thou  mayest  know  that  there  is  none  like  me  in  all  the 
earth.  15For  already  I could  have  put  forth  my  hand,  and  j 
smitten  thee  and  thy  people  with  pestilence,  so  that  thou  I 
wouldst  have  been  cut  off  from  the  earth,  16but  only  for 
this  reason  have  I made  thee  to  stand,  in  order  that  I 
may  show  thee  my  power,  and  that  my  name  may  be  de- 
clared throughout  all  the  earth. k 17Dost  thou  still 
exalt  thyself  against  my  people,  in  that  thou 
wilt  not  let  them  go  ? 18Then  to-morrow  about 
this  time  I will  send  down  a very  heavy  fall 
of  hail,  such  as  hath  not  been  in  Egypt  since 
the  day  it  was  founded,  even  until  the  present. 
19Now  therefore  send,  bring  thy  cattle  and  all  that  thou 
hast  in  the  field  into  a place  of  safety ; for  on  all  men 
and  beasts  that  shall  be  found  in  the  field  and  shall  not 
be  brought  home,  the  hail  shall  come  down  so  that  they 
shall  die.”  ’ 20  Whoever  feared  the  word  of  Jehovah  among 
the  courtiers  of  Pharaoh  made  his  servants  and  his  cattle 
flee  into  the  houses ; 21but  whoever  did  not  regard  the  word 
of  Jehovah  left  his  servants  and  his  cattle  in  the  field.* 1 
23bAnd  Jehovah  sent  thunder  and  hail;  and  fire 
ran  down  upon  the  earth ; and  Jehovah  rained  hail 
upon  the  land  of  Egypt.  24bAnd  the  hail  was 
very  severe,  such  as  had  not  been  in  all  the  land 
of  Egypt  since  it  became  a nation.  25bAnd  the 
hail  smote  all  the  vegetation  of  the  field,  and 
shattered  every  tree  of  the  field.  260nly  in  the 
land  of  Goshen,  where  the  Israelites  were,  was 
there  no  hail. 

Pha-  27Then  Pharaoh  sent,  and  called  for  Moses 

repeated  and  Aaron,  and  said  to  them,  I have  sinned  this 

perfldr  time;  Jehovah  is  in  the  right  and  I and  my  people 
are  in  the  wrong.  28Make  supplication  to  Je- 
hovah— for  there  has  been  more  than  enough  of 
these  mighty  thunderings11  and  hail.  I will  let 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 
9 22Then  Jehovah  said 
to  Moses,  Stretch  forth 
thy  hand  toward  heaven, 
that  there  may  be  hail  in 
all  the  land  of  Egypt,  upon 
man  and  beast  and  upon 
all  the  vegetation  of  the 
field™,  throughout  the  land 
of  Egypt.  23aSo  Moses 
stretched  forth  his  staff 
toward  heaven,  24a  and 
there  was  hail  and  fire 
mingled  with  the  hail. 
25aAnd  the  hail  smote 
throughout  all  the  land  of 
Egypt  all  that  was  in  the 
field,  both  man  and  beast. 
31  And  the  flax  and  the 
barley  were  smitten,  for 
the  barley  was  in  the  ear, 
and  the  flax  was  in  bloom. 
32The  wheat  and  the  spelt, 
however, were  not  smitten , 
for  they  were  late. 


35But  the  heart  of  Pha-  Pha 
raoh  was  hardened  so  stub- 
that  he  did  not  let  the  h0™11089 
Israelites  go,  as  Jehovah 
had  predicted  by  Moses.  - 


k 911-16  Because  of  its  language  and  advanced  conceptions  of  Jehovah  this  passage  is  re- 
garded by  many  authorities  as  a later  prophetic  addition.  Like  the  similar  hortatory  refrains, 
which  recur  in  these  Judean  stories  of  the  plagues,  it  does  not  stand  in  close  connection  with  its 
context.  Cf.  § 69,  note  p. 

1 919-21  in  96  the  Judean  tradition  has  already  reported  the  complete  destruction  of  all  the 
cattle  of  the  Egyptians.  The  hail  was  to  destroy  all  the  vegetation,  24b'  2ib.  Vss-  19-21  were 
therefore  clearly  added  by  an  editor  to  harmonize  the  preceding  with  the  Ephraimite  version 
in  JS*. 

m9a  The  Judean  equivalent  of  the  Ephraimite  expression,  vegetation  of  the  land,  10u.  It 
is  here  introduced  harmonistically. 

0 S528  Heb.,  voicet  of  God. 


166 


[Ex.  1012 


Ex.  928]  PLAGUE  OF  HAIL 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

you  go,  and  you  shall  stay  no  longer.  29Then 
Moses  said  to  him,  As  soon  as  I am  gone 
out  of  the  city,  I will  spread  out  my  hands  in 
prayer  to  Jehovah;  the  thunders  shall  cease,  and 
there  shall  be  no  more  hail  that  thou  mayest 
know  that  the  land  is  Jehovah’s.  30But  as  for 
you  and  your  courtiers,  I know  that  even  then 
you  will  not  fear  Jehovah.0  33So  Moses  went  out 
of  the  city  from  Pharaoh,  and  spread  out  his  hands 
to  Jehovah.  Then  the  thunders  and  hail  ceased, 
and  the  rain  was  no  longer  poured  upon  the 
earth.  34But  when  Pharaoh  saw  that  the  rain 
and  the  hail  and  the  thunders  had  ceased,  he 
sinned  yet  again  and  was  stubborn  in  heart,  he 
together  with  hi3  courtiers. 

§ 69.  Plague  of  Locusts,  Ex. 

Early  Judean 

Ex.  10  ^hen  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Go  in  to 
Pharaoh,  for  I have  made  his  heart  stubborn,  and  the 
heart  of  his  courtiers,  that  I may  show  these  my  signs  in 
their  midst,  2and  that  thou  mayest  tell  in  the  ears  of  thy 
Bon,  and  of  thy  grandsons,  what  1 have  done  to  the 
Egyptians,  and  my  signs  which  I have  performed  among 
them ; that  ye  may  know  that  I am  Jehovah. p 3So 
Moses  and  Aarons  went  in  to  Pharaoh,  and  said 
to  him,  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  God  of  the 
Hebrews,  ‘How  long  wilt  thou  refuse  to  humble 
thyself  before  me?  let  my  people  go  that  they 
may  worship  me.  4Forifthou  refuse  to  let  my 
people  go,  then  to-morrow  I will  bring  locusts 
into  thy  territory , 5and  they  shall  cover  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  so  that  one  shall  not  be  able  to  see 
the  earth,  and  they  shall  eat  the  residue  of  that 
which  is  escaped,  which  remaineth  to  you  from 
the  hail,  and  shall  eat  every  tree  which  groweth 
for  you  out  of  the  field;  6and  thy  palaces  shall  be 
filled,  and  the  houses  of  all  thy  courtiers,  and  of 
all  the  Egyptians;  neither  thy  fathers  nor  thy 
fathers’  fathers  have  seen  the  like,  since  the  day 


10l-2O 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 

10 12Then  Jehovah  said  The 
to  Moses,  Stretch  out  thy  warning 
hand  over  the  land  of 
Egypt  for  the  locusts, 
that  they  may  come  up  on 
the  land  of  Egypt,  and  eat 
every  herb  of  the  land, 
even  all  that  the  hail  hath 
left. 


0 930  Heb.,  Jehovah  God.  Cf.  § 2,  note  6 God,  as  in  Gen.  24b-324,  was  evidently  added  by  a 
later  editor. 

§ 69  Cf.  introd.  note  § 63. 

r 10lb,  2 Evidently  another  editorial  addition,  similar  to  those  in  717a,  810'  “h,  914-*5’  fflb,  for 
here  it  takes  the  place  of  the  regular  formula  of  the  Judean  narratives  and  of  the  detailed 
introductions  implied  in  3_6.  The  language  is  also  that  of  the  later  prophetic  (Deut.)  editor. 

‘ i 103  According  to  6 only  Moses  departs  from  the  audience  with  Pharaoh.  This  tends  to  con- 
firm the  conclusion  that  Aaron  did  not  figure  in  the  original  Judean  version.  Cf.  § 65,  note  °. 

167 


Partial 
consent 
of  Pha- 
raoh and 
his  cour- 
tiers 


Devasta- 
tion of 
the  land 
by  lo- 
custs 


Pha- 

raoh's 

.'equest 


Ex.  106]  PLAGUES  AND  WONDERS  [Ex.  1013a 


Early  Judean 

that  they  were  upon  the  earth  to  this  day.’ 
Then  he  turned  and  went  out  from  Pharaoh. 

7Thereupon  Pharaoh’s  courtiers  said  to  him. 
How  long  is  this  man  to  be  a snare  to  us  ? Let  the 
men  go  that  they  may  worship  Jehovah  their  God. 
Do  you  not  yet  know  that  Egypt  is  being  de- 
stroyed? 8So  Moses  and  Aaron  were  brought 
again  to  Pharaoh,  and  he  said  to  them,  Go  wor- 
ship Jehovah  your  God;  but  who  are  they  that 
shall  go?  9And  Moses  said,  We  will  go  with 
our  young  and  with  our  old  men,  with  our  sons 
and  with  our  daughters,  with  our  flocks  and  with 
our  herds  will  we  go;  for  we  must  hold  a feast  to 
Jehovah.  10 And  he  said  to  them,  May.  Jehovah 
then  be  with  you.r  Tf  I let  you  go  together  with 
your  little  ones,  beware,  for  evil  is  before  you.s 
1 1 N ay  rather,  you  men  go  and  worship  Jehovah, 
for  that  is  what  you  desire.  Then  they  were 
driven  out  from  Pharaoh’s  presence. 

13bAnd  Jehovah  caused  an  east  wind  to  blow 
over  the  land  all  that  day,  and  all  the  night;  and 
when  it  was  morning  the  east  wind  had  brought 
the  locusts,  14band  they  settled  down  in  all  the 
territory  of  Egypt,  exceedingly  many;  before 
them  there  were  never  so  many  locusts  as  they, 
neither  after  them  shall  there  ever  be  so  many. 
15a,  cp'or  tliey  covered  the  surface  of  the  whole 
land,  so  that  the  land  looked  dark,  and  nothing 
green  was  left,  neither  tree  nor  herb  of  the  field, 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt. 

16Then  Pharaoh  summoned  Moses  and  Aaron 
in  haste,  and  said,  I have  sinned  against  Jehovah 
your  God,  and  against  you.  17Now  therefore 
forgive,  I pray  thee,  my  sin  only  this  once,  and 
make  supplication  to  Jehovah  your  God,  that  he 
may  at  least  take  away  from  me  this  deadly 
plague.1  18So  he  went  out  from  Pharaoh  and 
made  supplication  to  Jehovah.  19And  Jehovah 
caused  to  blow  from  the  opposite  direction11  an 
exceeding  strong  west  wind,  which  took  up  the 
locusts  and  cast  them  into  the  Red  Sea;  not  a 
single  locust  was  left  in  all  the  territory  of  Egypt. 
But  the  heart  of  Pharaoh  was  stubborn  and  he 
did  not  let  the  'people  go. 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 


13aSo  Moses  stretched 
forth  his  staff  over  the 
land  of  Egypt;  14aand  the 
locusts  went  up  over  all 
the  land  of  Egypt,  15band 
they  ate  all  the  vegetation 
of  the  land,  and  all  the 
fruit  of  the  trees  which 
the  hail  had  left. 


20But  Jehovah  hardened 
Pharaoh’s  heart,  so  that 
he  did  not  let  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  go. 


r io10  That  is,  to  save  you  from  my  wrath.  The  language  is  apparently  ironical. 

9 IO10  Or,  You  have  evil  in  mind.  1 1017  Heb.,  death.  u 1019  Heb.,  turned, 

168 


PLAGUE  OF  DARKNESS 


[Ex.  1021 


Pha- 
raoh’s 
stubborn 
refusal 
to  yield 


§ 70.  Plague  of  Darkness,  Ex.  1021-23' 27 
Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Ex.  10  21Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Stretch  out  thy  hand  toward  heaven, 
that  there  may  be  darkness  over  the  land  of  Egypt,  even  darkness  which  may 
be  felt.  22So  Moses  stretched  forth  his  hand  toward  heaven;  and  there  was 
a thick  darkness  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  three  days;  23no  one  could  see  another, 
nor  did  any  one  rise  from  his  place  for  three  days.  All  the  Israelites,  however, 
had  light  in  their  dwellings.  27Nevertheless,  Jehovah  hardened  Pharaoh’s 
heart,  so  that  he  did  not  consent  to  let  them  go. 


71.  Death  of  the  First-born,  Ex.  425'  23,  102*-26' 28’ 29,  1 1,  121-13- 21-23’ 27b*36 


Early  Judean 

Ex.  4 Then  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  Go  in  22and 
say  to  Pharaoh,  ‘Thus 
saith  Jehovah,  “Israel  is 
my  son,  my  first-born, 
23and  I have  said  to  thee, 
Let  my  son  go  that  he 
may  worship  me;  and 
thou  hast  refused  to  let 
him  go;  now,  therefore,  I 
will  slay  thy  son,  thy 
first-born.”  ’ 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic 

11  kAnd  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  Yet  one 
plague  more  will  I 
bring  upon  Pharaoh, 
aiid  upon  Egypt;  after 
that  he  will  let  you  go ; 
indeed  when  he  lets  you 
go  altogether,  he  will 
actually  drive  you  out 
hence  by  force.  2Speak 
therefore  in  the  ears  of 
the  people,  and  let  them 
ask  every  man  of  his 
neighbor  and  every 
woman  of  her  neighbor 
jewels  of  silver  and 
gold. 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

11  9Then  Jehovah  said 
to  Moses,  Pharaoh  will  not 
hearken  to  you,  in  order 
that  my  wonders  may  be 
many  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 


§ 70  Cf.  introd.  note  § 63.  This  is  the  one  plague  story  which  is  found  only  in  the  Ephraim- 
ite narratives. 

§ 71  Cf.  introd.  note  § 63.  This  Judean  account  of  the  conversation  between  Moses  and  Pha- 
raoh in  1024'26  - 28  • 29  is  continued  in  1 14  ff . An  editor  has  interpolated  into  its  midst  the  Ephraimite 
tradition  of  the  plague  of  darkness,  1021-23-  21 . The  fragment  of  a conversation  between  Moses 
and  Pharaoh  in  422-  23  is  obviously  from  the  Judean  narrative.  It  was  possibly  put  in  its 
present  position  as  an  introduction  to  the  primitive  tradition  in  424*26;  but  its  contents  relate  it 
to  the  account  of  the  death  of  the  first-born  in  11.  Otherwise  the  message  to  Pharaoh  was  never 
delivered.  Transposed  it  furnishes  the  missing  divine  command  required  to  fill  out  the  frame- 
work of  the  Judean  narratives  in  the  present  story. 

The  composite  character  of  Ex.  11,  12  is  shown  by  a great  variety  of  evidence.  The  Judean 
narrative  is  complete:  1221-23-  27b-  3°-34  record  the  carrying  out  of  the  program  announced  in  ll4-8. 
Verse  23b  contains  a possible  duplicate;  will  not  suffer  the  Destroyer  to  come  into  your  houses  to 
smite  you  may  be  a remnant  of  the  Ephraimite  narrative  of  which  only  a fragment  is  preserved. 
Of  the  death  of  the  first-born  of  the  Egyptians  it  says  nothing;  but  in  accordance  with  the 
promise  to  Moses  in  320'22,  it  records  the  effects  of  the  last  plague  and  the  departure  of  the  Israel- 
ites, laden  with  the  possessions  of  the  Egyptians. 

The  priestly  version  reveals  the  interest  of  its  author  in  the  law  of  the  passover,  of  which 
it  records  the  traditional  origin.  The  demands  of  the  Israelites  that  they  be  allowed  to  go  out 
into  the  desert  and  offer  sacrifices  to  Jehovah,  Ex.  51*3,  71S,  1024'r\  suggests  that  back  of  it  lay 
a much  older  Semitic  institution.  The  Hebrew  passover  feast  appears  to  be  a composite  of 
many  different  elements,  most  of  which  were  pre-Mosaic.  Cf.  vol.  IV.  in  loco. 

169 


The 

warning 


Pha- 

raoh’s 

refusal 


Ex.  1024]  PLAGUES  AND  WONDERS  [Ex.  II10 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Moses’s  10  24Then  Pharaoh  summoned  Moses,  and  said, 

terview  Go,  worship  Jehovah;  only  let  your  flocks  and  your 

Pharaoh  herds  remain  behind;  let  your  little  ones  also  go 
with  you.  25 Put  Moses  said,  You  must  also  give 
us  sacrifices  and  burnt-offerings,  that  we  may  sac- 
rifice to  Jehovah  our  God.  26Our  cattle  also  must 
go  with  us ; not  a single  animal  shall  be  left  behind ; 
for  we  must  take  these  to  offer"  to  Jehovah  our 
God ; and  we  do  not  know  what  we  must  offer"  to 
Jehovah,  until  we  reach  there.  28Thereupon  Pha- 
raoh said  to  him,  Begone  from  me,  beware,  never 
see  my  face  again;  for  in  the  day  you  see  my 
face  you  shall  die.  29 And  Moses  said,  You  have 
spoken  truly,  I will  never  see  your  face  again. 

The fmai  11  4But  Moses  said.  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  ‘About 

warning  . . 

midnight  I will  go  throughout  the  midst  of  Egypt; 
5and  all  the  first-born  in  the  land  of  Egypt  shall 
die,  from  the  first-born  of  Pharaoh  who  sitteth  upon 
his  throne,  even  to  the  first-born  of  the  maid- 
servant that  is  behind  the  mill ; and  all  the  first-born 
of  cattle.  6And  there  shall  be  a great  wail  of 
lamentation  throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  the 
like  of  which  has  never  been,  and  shall  never  be 
again.’  7But  against  none  of  the  Israelites  shall  a 
dog  move  his  tongue, x neither  against  man  nor 
beast;  that  you  may  know  that  Jehovah  doth  make 
a distinction  between  the  Egyptians  and  Israel. 
8And  all  these  your  courtiers  shall  come  down  to 
me,  and  prostrate  themselves  before  me,  saying, 
‘Go  forth,  together  with  all  the  people  that  follow 
you’;  and  after  that  I will  go  out.  Thereupon  he 
went  out  from  Pharaoh  in  hot  anger. 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

10Although  Moses  and  His  per- 
Aaron  did  all  these  wonders 
before  Pharaoh,  Jehovah  ’bornness 
hardened  Pharaoh’s  heart, 
so  that  he  did  not  let  the 
Israelites  go  out  of  his 
land.7 


pirec-  12  21Then  Moses  sum- 
earcfing  moned  all  the  elders  of  Is- 
nration5"  rael , and  said  to  them, 
depart-  Draw  out  and  take  lambs 
1110  from  the  herds  for  your 

families?"  and  kill  the  pass- 
over.  22And  you  shall 
take  a bunch  of  hyssop, 
and  dip  it  in  the  blood 


12  ’Then  Jehovah  spoke  to  Moses  and  Aaron  Direc- 
in  the  land  of  Egypt,  saying,  2This  month  shall  yarding 
be  to  you  the  beginning  of  months;  it  shall  be  the  overPass 
first  month  of  the  year  to  you.  3Speak  to  all  the 
congregation  of  Israel  saying,  ‘ In  the  tenth  day  of 
this  month  they  shall  each  provide  for  themselves 
a lamb,  one  for  each  individual  family;  4and  if 
the  family  be  too  small  for  a lamb,  then  shall  he 
and  his  next  door  neighbor  take  one  together. 


r xi«.io  Apparently  an  editorial  conclusion  to  the  plague  stories  and  introduction  to  the 
account  of  the  origin  of  the  passover. 
w lO26  Heb.,  serve  or  worship. 

1 ll7  Heb.,  sharpen  his  tongue , i.  e.,  utter  a sound  against, 
r 12s1  A characteristic  priestly  idiom. 


170 


The  final 
blow  and 
the  ea- 
gerness 
of  the 
Egyp- 
tians to 
hasten 
the  de- 
parture 
of  the  Is- 
raelites 


Ex.  1222]  DEATH  OF  THE  FIRST-BORN  [Ex.  124 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

that  is  in  the  basin,  and 
strike  the  lintel  and  the 
two  door-posts  with  the 
blood  that  is  in  the  basin; 
but,  as  regards  yourselves, 
none  of  you  shall  go  out 
of  the  door  of  his  house 
until  the  morning.3  23For 
Jehovah  will  pass  through 
to  smite  the  Egyptians; 
and  when  he  seeth  the 
blood  upon  the  lintel,  and 
on  the  two  door-posts, 
Jehovah  will  pass  over  the 
door,  and  will  not  suffer 
the  Destroyer  to  come  into 
your  houses  to  smite  you. 
27t>Then  the  people  bowed 
low  their  heads  in  worship . 


12  29 And  it  came  to 
pass  at  midnight,  that 
Jehovah  smote  all  the 
first-born  in  the  land  of 
Egypt,  from  the  first- 
born of  Pharaoh  who  sat 
on  his  throne  to  the  first- 
born of  the  captive  that 
was  in  the  prison;  and 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

according  to  the  number  of  the  persons ; accord- 
ing to  each  one’s  ability  to  eat  shall  you  make 
your  reckoning  for  the  lamb.  5Your  lamb  must 
be  without  blemish,  a male,  a year  old;  ye  shall 
take  it  from  the  sheep  or  from  the  goats.  6And 
ye  shall  keep  it  until  the  fourteenth  day  of  the 
same  month;  then  the  whole  assembly  of  the 
congregation  of  Israel  shall  kill  it  toward  evening. 
7And  they  shall  take  of  the  blood  and  put  it 
on  the  two  door-posts  and  on  the  lintel  of  the 
houses  in  which  they  shall  eat  it.  8And  in  the 
same  night  they  shall  eat  the  flesh  roasted  with 
fire ; with  unleavened  bread  and  bitter  herbs  shall 
they  eat  it.  9Be  sure  to  eat  it  neither  raw  nor 
boiled  in  water,  but  roasted  with  fire,  retaining 
its  head  with  its  legs  and  inwards.  10And  ye 
shall  keep  nothing  of  it  until  morning;  but  that 
which  remaineth  of  it  until  morning  ye  shall 
burn  with  fire.  nAnd  thus  shall  ye  eat  it,  with 
your  loins  girded,  your  shoes  on  your  feet,  and 
your  staff  in  your  hand;  and  ye  shall  eat  it  in 
trembling  haste,  it  is  Jehovah’s  passover.  12For 
I will  go  through  the  land  of  Egypt  in  that  night, 
and  smite  all  the  first-born  in  the  land  of 
Egypt,  both  man  and  beast;  and  against  all  the 
gods  of  Egypt  I will  execute  judgments;  I am 
Jehovah.  13And  the  blood  shall  be  for  your 
sakes  as  a token  upon  the  houses  where  ye  are; 
for  where  I see  the  blood,  I will  pass  over  you, 
and  no  destructive  blow  shall  come  upon  you, 
when  I smite  the  land  of  Egypt.’ 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic 

11  3Therefore  Jeho- 
vah gave  the  people  fa- 
vor in  the  sight  of  the 
Egyptians.  Moreover 
the  man  Moses  was 
very  great  in  the  land 
of  Egypt  in  the  sight 
of  Pharaoh’s  courtiers 
and  in  the  sight  of  the 


12  28 And  the  Israel-  Prepara- 

i i*  i tionsfor 

ites  went  and  did  so;  thede- 
just  as  Jehovah  had partlue 
commanded  Moses  and 
Aaron,  so  did  they. 


* 1222  Also  added  from  the  priestly  source.  The  Judean  narrative  represents  the  Israelites 
as  leaving  in  the  middle  of  the  night. 

171 


PLAGUES  AND  WONDERS 


Ex.  1229] 

Early  Judean 

all  the  first-born  of  cattle.  30Then  Pharaoh  rose  up 
in  the  night,  together  with  all  his  courtiers  and  the 
Egyptians,  and  there  arose  a great  wail  in  Egypt 
for  there  was  not  a bouse  where  there  was  not  one 
dead.  31  And  he  called  Moses  and  Aaron  by  night 
and  said,  Arise,  go  forth  from  the  midst  of  my 
people,  together  with  the  Israelites  ; go  worship 
Jehovah  as  you  have  requested.  32 Also  take  with 
you  your  sheep  and  your  cattle,  as  you  have  re- 
quested, and  go  and  ask  a blessing  for  me.  33 And 
the  Egyptians  urged  the  people  strenuously,  that 
they  might  send  them  quickly  out  of  the  land, 
for  they  said  to  themselves,  Else  we  shall  be 
dead.  34Therefore  the  people  took  their  dough 
before  it  was  leavened,  their  kneading  troughs 
being  bound  up  in  their  clothes  upon  their  shoul- 
ders. 


[Ex.  II3 

Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 

people.  12  35 And  the 
Israelites  did  accord- 
ing to  the  command  of 
Moses;  and  they  asked 
of  the  Egyptians  jewels 
of  silver  and  gold,  and 
clothing.  36 And  Jeho- 
vah gave  the  people  fa- 
vor in  the  sight  of  the 
Egyptians,  so  that  they 
let  them  have  what 
they  asked.  Thus  they 
despoiled22  the  Egyp- 
tians. 


Ill 


THE  EXODUS,  Ex.  1237-41, 51,  1317-22)  14)  151, 19-25a,  27,  161,  I7lt  19l,2af 

Num.  331-15 


72.  Journey  to  the  Red  Sea,  Ex.  1237-41’ 51,  1311-22 


Early  Judean 

Details  Ex.  12  37hNoiv  the 
depart-  Israelites  went  out  from, 
Egypt™'  Egypt , about  six  hundred 
thousand  men  on  foot, 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic 

13 17Now  when  Pha- 
raoh had  let  the  people 
go,  God  did  not  lead 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

12  37aNow  the  Israel- 
ites journeyed  from 
Rameses  to  Succoth.® 


zz  1236  Cf.  note  § 80. 

§ 72  1237"39  is  the  continuation  of  the  Judean  narrative  of  29_34.  The  same  note  of  haste  and 
the  same  explanation  of  the  use  of  unleavened  bread  reappears.  1321-  in  keeping  with  the 
conceptions  reflected  in  this  early  source,  represents  Jehovah  himself  as  in  the  cloud  and  pillar 
of  fire  leading  and  protecting  his  people  on  the  march.  Cf.  Gen.  1517,  § 16. 

In  the  Ephraimite  narratives  the  cloud  is  connected  with  the  tent  of  meeting.  Ex.  337t 
Num.  125.  In  that  source  it  is  the  Messenger  of  God  who  leads  the  people,  Ex.  1419a,  or  simply 
God  himself,  1318.  The  Ephraimite  version  is  found  in  1317'19,  as  is  shown  by  the  divine  name, 
God,  which  is  still  preferably  employed,  and  by  the  interest  in  the  bones  of  Joseph.  Cf.  Gen. 


6°25’  §57’  ...  • .1 

The  repetitious  style  and  the  interest  in  the  exact  details  of  the  itinerary  reveal  the  priestly 
passages.  1240  41  and  1251  are  evidently  from  the  same  hand.  It  'is  difficult  to  reconcile  the 
430  years  with  the  statement  in  the  priestly  source,  613f  that  the  exodus  took  place  in  the  fourth 
generation  from  Jacob.  Therefore  these  verses  are  probably  from  a later  editor. 

As  is  usual,  the  representation  of  the  earliest  version  of  the  tradition  is  the  simplest  and  most 
natural.  The  analogy  is  close  with  the  mode  of  travel  in  the  desert  to-day.  To  guide  the 
straggling  members  of  the  caravan  or  tribe  a brazier  of  coals  is  held  aloft  by  the  leader  that  the 
ascending  column  of  smoke  by  day  and  the  gleaming  fire  by  night  may  be  seen  by  all. 

a1237a  The  introductory  formula  and  possibly  the  detailed  statistics  are  from  the  priestly 
source,  which  alone  makes  the  land  of  Rameses  the  home  of  the  Hebrews.  Cf.  Gen.  471  . 


172 


JOURNEY  TO  THE  SEA  [Ex.  1317,  1240 


Ex.  1237] 

Early  Judean 

not  including  children.b 
38 And  a mixed  multitude 
went  up  also  with  them; 
and  flocks  and  herds, 
even  very  great  posses- 
sions. 39 And  they  baked 
unleavened  cakes  of  the 
dough  which  they  had 
brought  forth  out  of 
Egypt;  for  it  was  not 
leavened,  because  they 
had  been  driven  out  of 
Egypt,  and  could  not 
wait,  neither  had  they 
prepared  for  themselves 
any  food  for  the  way. 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic 

them  on  the  way  to- 
ward the  land  of  the 
Philistines,  although 
that  v?as  near;  for  God 
said,  Lest  the  people 
be  filled  with  regret 
when’they  see  war,  and 
return  to  Egypt . 
18Therefore  God  led 
the  people  on  the  way 
to  the  wilderness  by  the 
Red  Sea  [Sea  of  Reeds] ; 
and  the  Israelites  went 
up  armed  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt.  19And 
Moses  took  the  bones 
of  Joseph  with  him;  for 
he  had  made  the  Israel- 
ites take  a solemn  oath, 
saying  God  will  assur- 
edly visit  you ; and  you 
shall  carry  my  bones 
away  from  here  with 
you. 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 


they  journeyed  from 
Succoth  and  encamped 
in  Etham,  on  the  edge 
of  the  wilderness. 


40 And  the  time  that  the  Is-  Method 
raelites  dwelt  in  Egypt  was  o£  march 
four  hundred  and  thirty 
years ; 4land  it  came  to  pass 
at  the  end  of  four  hundred 
and  thirty  years,  even  the 
very  same  day,  all  the  hosts 
of  Jehovah  went  out  from 
the  land  of  Egypt.  51  And 
it  came  to  pass  the  very 
same  day  that  Jehovah 
brought  the  Israelites  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt  by 
their  hosts.  13  29  And 


13  21And  Jehovah  went  before  them  by  day  in  a pillar  of  cloud  to  show 
them  the  way,  and  by  night  in  a pillar  of  fire,  to  give  them  light;  that  they 
might  march  by  day  and  by  night;  22the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  the  pillar  of 
fire  by  night  did  not  depart  from  before  the  people. 


Pha- 
raoh’s 
pursuit 
of  the 
Israel- 
ites 


§ 73.  Pursuit  of  the  Egyptians  and  the  Great  Deliverance,  Ex.  14,  IS1' 19-21 


Early  Judean 
Ex.  14  5When 
the  king  of  Egypt 
was  told  that  the 
people  had  fled, 


Early  Ephraimite 
Prophetic 

14  When  Pha- 
raoh saw  that  the 
people  went  by  the 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

14  JThen  Jehovah  spoke  to 
Moses,  saying,  2Command  the 
Israelites  that  they  turn  back  and 
encamp  before  Pi-hahiroth,  be- 


b i237b  By  implication  the  women,  like  the  children,  were  not  counted.  Cf.  1010. 

§ 73  The  presence  in  Ex.  14  and  15  of  extracts  from  the  three  different  sources  is  revealed 
by  certain  duplicates  and  inconsistencies  in  the  narrative  as  it  stands.  Thus,  for  example,  in 
one  passage  it  is  Jehovah  who  sends  a strong  east  wind  to  drive  back  the  waters,  1 4.21b  - in 
another  Moses  is  commanded  to  lift  up  his  staff  that  the  waters  may  divide,  14I6» ; and  in  another 
to  stretch  out  his  hand  over  the  sea  and  divide  it,  ]416b.  These  are  at  once  recognized  in  the 
light  of  the  plague  stories  as  the  representative  characteristics  of  the  three  different  groups  of 
narratives.  Other  minor  variations  appear:  for  example,  in  147a  it  is  affirmed  that  Pharaoh 
took  600  chosen  chariots:  but  147b  also  states  that  he  took  all  the  chariots  of  Egypt.  Analogies 
also  lead  us  to  expect  different  versions  of  this  important  crisis  in  Hebrew  history.  It  is  evi- 
dent, however,  that  the  different  traditions  were  very  similar.  The  deep  significance  of  the 
event  doubtless  explains  why  the  details  were  so  firmly  fixed  in  the  popular  memory.  The 
amalgamation  of  the  different  traditions  is  also  very  close,  parallel  passages  being  omitted. 

173 


Their 
terror 
and  Je- 
hovah’s 
assur- 
ance 
of  deliv- 
erance 


Ex.  145'  3] 

Early  Judean 

the  feeling0  of 
Pharaoh  and  his 
courtiers  towards 
the  people  was 
changed,  and  they 
said,  What  is  this 
we  have  done,  that 
we  have  let  Israel 
go  from  our  ser- 
vice ? 6 And  he 

made  ready  his 
chariot,  and  took 
his  people  with 
him,  7band  all  the 
chariots  of  Egypt. 


THE  EXODUS 


[Ex.  142 


Early  Ephraimite 
Prophetic 

way  of  the  wilder- 
ness of  the  Red 
Sea,  3Pharaoh  said 
to  himself,  As  for 
the  Israelites,  they 
arewandering  aim- 
lessly in  the  land, 
the  wilderness  has 
shut  them  in. 
7a,  ('Therefore  he 
took  six  hundred 
chosen  chariots, 
and  captains  over 
all  of  them,  8band 
he  pursued  after 
the  Israelites. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

tween  Migdol  and  the  sea,  before 
Baalzephon;  over  against  it  shall 
ye  encamp  by  the  sea.  4Then  I 
will  harden  Pharaoh’s  heart,  so 
that  he  shall  follow  after  them, 
in  order  that  I may  gain  glory  for 
myself  by  Pharaoh,  and  all  his 
host,  and  that  the  Egyptians  shall 
know  that  I am  Jehovah.  And 
they  did  so.  8a’  cJehovah  also 
hardened  the  heart  of  Pharaoh, 
king  of  Egypt,  for  the  Israelites 
went  out  through  a mighty  act  of 
deliverance. d 9And  the  Egyptians 
pursued  after  them,  all  the  horses 
and  chariots  of  Pharaoh,  and  his 
horsemen,  and  his  army,  and  over- 
took them  encamping  by  the  sea, 
beside  Pi-hahiroth,  before  Baal- 
zephon. 


10aAnd  when  Pharaoh  drew 
near,  the  Israelites  lifted  up  their 
eyes  and  saw  the  Egyptians 
marching  after  them;  and  they 
were  exceedingly  afraid,  11  and 
they  said  to  Moses,  Was  it  because 


1 0 b T h e n 
the  Israelites 
cried  out  to 
Jehovah. 
15aAnd  Jeho- 
vah said  to 


15bThen  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  Com- 
mand the  Israelites, 
that  they  go  forward, 
16band  stretch  out  thy 
hand  over  the  sea  and 


The  Judean  and  priestly  narratives  can  here  be  readily  reconstructed  in  the  light  of  earlier  refer- 
ences and  characteristics  peculiar  to  each. 

As  usual,  the  Ephraimite  version  is  most  fragmentary.  References  in  the  parts  that  have 
been  preserved  aid  in  the  reconstruction.  The  speech  of  Joshua  in  Josh.  24,  which  is  from 
the  same  source,  also  suggests  its  original  contents.  Vss.  6- 7a  probably  read  in  the  original  text: 
When  I brought  you  out  of  Egypt  and  you  came  to  the  sea,  the  Egyptians  pursued  you  with  chariots 
and  horsemen  to  the  Red  Sea.  But  when  you  cried  out  to  Jehovah  he  put  darkness  between  you  and 
the  Egyptians  and  brought  the  sea  upon  them  and  covered  them.  With  this  as  a guide,  it  is  pos- 
sible to  restore  the  Ephraimite  version. 

1420b  has  always  been  regarded  by  commentators  as  a hopelessly  corrupt  passage.  The 
early  translations  afford  no  help.  The  Heb.  reads,  and  there  was  the  cloud  and  the  darkness  and 
(it)  gave  light  by  night.  Josh.  24?a  indicates  that  and  there  was  darkness  belongs  to  the  Ephraim- 
ite narrative.  The  cloud,  however,  is  peculiar  to  the  Judean,  note  § 72.  It  is  also  required 
as  the  subject  of  the  verb  in  the  next  clause.  The  present  confusion  in  the  text  therefore  seems 
to  be  due  to  the  editor  who  joined  the  two  narratives.  The  analysis  is  also  in  keeping  with  the 
fact  that  in  the  Judean  the  exodus  takes  place  in  the  night,  and  in  the  Ephraimite  in  the  daytime. 
The  song  in  Ex.  152*13  contains  allusions  to  still  another  slightly  variant  version  of  the  tradition 


of  the  exodus.  _ , , . 

As  frequently  the  analysis  indicates  in  the  light  of  the  earliest  version  that  the  events  back 
of  the  traditions  may  be  classified  as  natural  rather  than  contrary  to  God’s  usual  method  of 
accomplishing  his  ends.  It  was  not  by  a marvellous  portent,  but.  by  the  opportuneness  of  the 
strong  east  wind,  which  blew  back  the  waters,  that  he  revealed  himself  as  a God  not  only  able 
but  eager  to  deliver  his  people. 

c 145  Heb.,  heart  or  mind.  on  _ . . . . , 

d 148  Heb.,  by  a high  hand.  This  expression  means  in  Num.  1530  defiantly,  insolently  and 
may  here  signify,  rebelliously  or  equipped  for  war.  In  the  priestly  narratives,  however, 
Jehovah  alone  effects  the  deliverance  and  the  people  are  but  the  recipients  of  his  divine  favors. 
The  present  incident  is  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  in  74  and  is  parallel  to  the  prophetic 
version  in  1431. 


174 


THE  GREAT  DELIVERANCE 


Ex.  1411] 

Early  Judean 

there  were  no  graves  in  Egypt, 
that  you  have  taken  us  away  to  die 
in  the  wilderness?  why  have  you 
dealt  thus  with  us,  in  bringing  us 
forth  out  of  Egypt  ? 12Is  not  this 
what  we  told  you  in  Egypt,  when 
we  said,  ‘Let  us  alone,  that  we  may 
serve  the  Egyptians?  For  it  were 
better  for  us  to  serve  the  Egyptians 
than  that  we  should  die  in  the  wil- 
derness.’ 13 And  Moses  said  to  the 
people,  Fear  not,  stand  still  and 
you  will  see  the  deliverance  which 
Jehovah  will  accomplish6  for  you 
to-day;  for  as  surely  as  you  now 
see  the  Egyptians,  you  shall  never 
see  them  again  forever.  14Jeho- 
vah  will  fight  for  you,  but  you  are 
to  keep  still. 

19bThen  the  pillar  of  cloud 
changed  its  position  from  be- 
fore them  and  stood  behind 
them.  20bAnd  the  cloud  light- 
ed up  the  night;  yet  through- 
out the  entire  night  the  one 
army  did  not  come  near  the 
other.  21bAnd  Jehovah  caused 
the  sea  to  go  back  by  a strong 
east  wind  all  the  night,  and 
made  the  bed  of  the  sea  dry. 
24bAnd  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
watch  before  the  dawn  that 
Jehovah  looked  forth  through 
the  pillar  of  fire  and  of  cloud 
upon  the  host  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, 25and  he  bound8  their 
chariot  wheels,  so  that  they 
proceeded  with  difficulty. 
Then  the  Egyptians  said,  Let 
us  flee  from  before  Israel; 


[Ex.  1415a,  16b 

Priestly  Narratives 

divide  it,  that  the  Is- 
raelites may  go  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea  on 
dry  ground.  17  And 
then  I will  harden  the 
hearts  of  the  Egyptians, 
and  they  shall  go  in  after 
them,  that  I may  gain 
glory  for  myself  through 
Pharaoh  and  all  his 
host,  through  his  cha- 
riots and  his  horsemen, 

18and  that  the  Egyp- 
tians may  know  that  I 
am  Jehovah,  when  I 
have  gained  glory  for 
myself  through  Pha- 
raoh, through  his  cha- 
riots, and  through  his 
horsemen. 

2'a'  cThen  Moses  Deiiver- 
stretched  out  his  hand  the  Isra- 
over  the  sea,  and  the  and  de- 
waters  were  divided,  tionof 
22so  that  the  Israelites  pursuers 
went  into  the  midst  of 
the  sea  on  the  dry 
ground;  and  the  waters 
were  a wall  to  them  on 
their  right  hand  and  on 
their  left.  23bAnd  the 
Egyptians  went  in  after 
them  into  the  midst  of 
the  sea,  all  Pharaoh’s 
horses,  his  chariots,  and 
his  horsemen.  26Then 
Jehovah  said  to  Moses, 

Stretch  out  thy  hand 
over  the  sea,  that  the 
waters  may  come  again 
upon  the  Egyptians, 


Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

Moses, Where- 
fore c r i e s t 
thou  to  me  ? 
16aLift  up  thy 
staff  and  di- 
vide the  wa- 
ters. 


19aThen  the  Mes- 
senger of  God,  who 
went  before  the 
camp  of  Israel  con- 
tinually, changed 
his  position  and 
went  behind  them, 
20aso  that  he  came 
between  the  camp 
of  Egypt  and  the 
camp  of  Israel;  and 
there  was  darkness. 
Then  Moses  lifted 
up  his  staff  and  the 
waters  divided f and 
Israel  went  for- 
ward into  the  midst 
of  the  sea,  23aand 
the  Egyptians  pur- 
sued; 24bbut  Jeho- 
vah threw  the  host 


e 1413  Heb.,  deliverance  of  Jehovah  which  he  will  do. 

f 1420a  Cf.  Is.  1026b,  Jehovah's  staff  will  be  over  the  sea  and  he  will  lift  it  up  after  the  manner  of 
Egypt.  Possibly  a reference  to  the  omitted  part  of  the  Ephraimite  version. 

e 1425  So  Gk.  and  Sam.  Heb.,  took  off , but  in  that  case  even  slow  progress  would  have  been 
impossible.  A very  slight  correction  of  the  Heb.  gives  the  above  reading.  The  meaning 
probably  is  that  the  wheels  were  stuck. 


175 


Song  of 
thanks- 
giving 


Experi- 
ences it 
Marah 


Ex.  1425]  THE  EXODUS  [Ex.  1424*>.  28 


Early  Judean 

for  Jehovah  fighteth  for  them 
against  the  Egyptians.  27bBut 
the  sea  returned  to  its  ordinary 
level1*  toward  morning,  while 
the  Egyptians  were  hying  be- 
fore it.  And  Jehovah  shook 
off  the  Egyptians  into  the 
midst  of  the  sea,  28bso  that 
not  one  of  them  remained. 
30Thus  Jehovah  saved  Israel 
that  day  out  of  the  power  of 
the  Egyptians;  and  Israel  saw 
the  Egyptians  dead  upon  the 
sea-shore. 


Ephraimiie 

Prophetic 

of  the  Egyptians 
into  confusion,  and 
[Josh.247b]  brought 
the  sea  upon  them 
and  covered  them. 
31  And  when  Israel 
saw  the  great  work 
which  Jehovah  did 
upon  the  Egyp- 
tians, the  people 
feared  Jehovah  ; 
and  they  believed 
in  Jehovah  and  in 
his  servant  Moses.* 


Priestly  Narratives 

upon  their  chariots  and 
their  horsemen.  27aSo 
Moses  stretched  forth 
his  hand  over  the  sea, 
28aand  the  waters  re- 
turned and  covered  the 
chariots,  and  the  horse- 
men, even  all  the  host 
of  Pharaoh  that  went 
in  after  them  into  the 
sea.  29But  the  Israelites 
walked  upon  dry  land 
in  the  midst  of  the  sea, 
the  waters  being  a wall 
to  them  on  their  right 
hand,  and  on  their  left. 


15  4 * *Then  Moses  and  the 
Israelites  sang  this  song  to 
Jehovah,  using  these  words  : 

I will  sing  to  Jehovah,  for  he  is 
greatly  exalted ; 

The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he 
thrown  into  the  sea. 


15  20Then  Miriam  the  prophetess,  the 
sister  of  Aaron,  took  a tambourine  in  her 
hand;  and  all  the  women  went  out  after 
her  with  tambourines  and  with  dancing. 
21  And  Miriam  sang  to  them, 

Sing  ye  to  Jehovah,  for  he  is  greatly  exalted ; 
The  horse  and  his  rider  hath  he  thrown  into 
the  sea. 


§ 74.  Journey  from  the  Red  Sea  to  Sinai,  Ex.  I52s-26a’  v,  16* 1,  171,  19*>  2 *\ 

Num.  331'15 


Early  Jud  ean  Pro  ph  etic 

Ex.  15  22Then  Mo- 
ses led  Israel  onward 
from  the  Red  Sea,  and 


Late  Priestly  N ar- 
ratives 

Ex.  16  lbThen 
all  the  congrega- 


Late  Priestly  Summary 

Num.  33  1These  are  the  stages 
of  the  Israelites  by  which  they  went 
forth  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt  by 
their  hosts  under  the  direction  of 


b 14Kb  Heb.,  steady  flow. 

1 1431  An  editorial  epitome  of  1428.  29  is  not  reproduced  in  the  present  text. 

§ 74  Ex.  presents  a greater  variety  of  perplexing  problems  than  perhaps  any  other 

section  in  the  Pentateuch.  Not  only  are  there  duplicates  and  inconsistencies  which  point  to 
different  sources,  but  most  of  the  incidents  appear  to  belong  later  in  the  narrative.  Thus  16 
tells  of  the  giving  of  manna  and  quails,  which  is  again  recorded  in  Num.  11,  as  if  for  the  first 
time.  It  is  also  assumed  in  9.  33 . 34  that  the  ark  of  the  testimony  is  already  in  existence.  The 
sabbath-laws  and  the  reference  to  Horeb  in  17s  confirm  the  conclusion  that  this  chapter,  like  its 
duplicate  in  Num.  11,  once  followed  the  stories  which  gathered  about  Sinai.  Cf.  § 87.  The 
traditions  associated  with  Massah  and  Meribah.  171-7,  also  centre  about  Kadesh  and  are  so 
localized  in  Num.  20.  Cf.  § 88.  The  account  of  the  war  with  the  Amalekites  in  178-16  likewise 
contains  many  indications  that  its  true  setting  is  to  be  found,  not  while  the  Hebrews  w7ere  on  a 

pilgrimage  to  the  sacred  mountain,  but  after  they  turned  northward  to  secure  a home  in  Canaan 

or  the  wilderness.  Cf.  § 89.  The  story  of  the  visit  of  Moses’s  father-in-law  in  18  is  also  evi- 

dently a part  of  the  incident  recorded  in  Num.  1029-32  and  belongs  in  the  latter  part  of  the  so 
journ  at  Sinai.  Cf.  § 80.  These  conclusions  find  striking  confirmation  in  the  Deuteronomic 
parallels,  which  are  based  upon  the  original  order  of  the  early  prophetic  narratives.  The  later 
editor  who  made  the  transposition  evidently  took  a group  of  stories  from  their  setting  at  the 
beginning  of  the  real  wilderness  wandering  (which  dates  from  the  departure  from  Sinai)  and 
placed  them  at  the  beginning  of  the  wilderness  journey  when  the  Hebrews  left  Egypt  for  Sinai. 

The  real  journey,  as  recorded  in  the  older  narratives,  appears  to  have  been  uneventful. 

176 


Intro- 

duction 


Ex.  1522,  16lb]  FROM  THE  RED  SEA  TO  SINAI 


[Num.  331 


Early  J udeanProphetic 

they  went  out  towards 
the  wilderness  of  Shur 
and  they  marched  three 
days  into  the  wilder- 
ness, without  finding 
water.  23Then  they 
came  to  Marah  but 
could  not  drink  the 
water  of  Marah  be- 
cause it  was  bitter. 
Hence  its  name  was 
called  Marah  [Bitter- 
ness]. 24Therefore 
the  people  murmured 
against  Moses,  saying, 
What  shall  we  drink? 
25aAnd  he  cried  to  Jeho- 
vah, and  Jehovah 
showed  him  a tree,  and 
he  cast  it  into  the 
waters,  and  the  waters 
were  made  sweet. 

AtEiim  27 And  they  came  to 

Elim  where  there  were 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

tion  of  the  Israel- 
ites came  to  the 
wilderness  of  Sin, 
which  is  between 
Elim  and  Sinai,  on 
the  fifteenth  day 
of  the  second 
month  after  they 
set  out  from  the 
land  of  Egypt. 
17  laAnd  all  the 
cong regation  of 
the  Israelites  jour- 
neyed by  stages 
from  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sin  accord- 
ing to  the  com- 
mand of  Jehovah. 
19  Hn  the  third 
month  after  the 
Israelites  went 
forth  from  the 
land  of  Egypt,  on 


Late  Priestly  Summary 

Moses  and  Aaron.  2 And  Moses  re- 
corded their  starting  places  on.  their 
several  stages  according  to  the  com- 
mandmentof  Jehovah;  and  these  are 
their  stages  by  their  several  starting 
places.  3 And  they  journeyed  from 
Rameses  in  the  first  month,  on  the 
fifteenth  day  of  the  first  month ; on 
the  morrow  after  the  passover  the 
Israelites  went  out  by  a mighty  act 
of  deliverance  in  the  sight  of  all 
the  Egyptians,  4while  the  Egyptians 
were  burying  all  their  first-born 
whom  Jehovah  had  smitten  among 
them.  Upon  their  gods  also  Jehovah 
executed  judgment. 

5And  the  Israelites  journeyed  From 
from  Rameses,  and  encamped  in  Rameses 
Succoth.  8 And  they  journeyed  from  to  bmal 
Succoth,  and  encamped  in  Etham, 
which  is  on  the  edge  of  the  wilder- 
ness. 7 And  they  journeyed  from 
Etham,  and  turned  back  to  Pi-hahi- 
roth,  which  is  before  Baal-zephon. 

And  they  encamped  before  Migdol. 

8And  they  journeyed  from  Pi-hahi- 
rothi,  and  passed  through  the  midst 
of  the  sea  into  the  wilderness ; and 
they  went  three  days’  journey  in 
the  wilderness  of  Etham,  and  en- 
camped in  Marah.  9 And  they  jour- 
neyed from  Marah,  and  came  to 
Elim ; and  in  Elim  were  twelve 
springs  of  water,  and  seventy  palm- 
trees  ; and  they  encamped  there. 


The  distance  was  less  than  200  miles  along  travelled  caravan  routes,  provided  with  springs  at 
different  stages.  Cf.  1522-27.  The  Hebrews  were  also  accompanied  by  their  herds,  1232,  173, 
and  carried  provisions  from  Egypt,  1234.  It  was  only  when  they  took  up  their  permanent 
abode  in  the  desert  that  miraculous  provisions  of  food  and  water  were  required.  Two  weeks 
would  amply  suffice  and  the  reasons  for  haste  were  urgent,  but  the  late  priestly  editor  assigns 
three  months  to  the  journey,  191.  Possibly  it  was  to  account  for  this  long  lapse  of  time  and  to 
provide  a place  for  certain  obvious  duplicates  that  the  late  editor  arranged  the  material  as  we 
find  it. 

The  murmuring  of  the  people  and  the  simple,  straightforward  style  of  the  narrative  in  1523-25»,  27 
are  characteristics  of  the  Judean  source.  In  16la,  17lb  and  192°  the  priestly  editor  seems  to 
have  preserved  the  outlines  of  the  itinerary  peculiar  to  that  narrative  or  else  to  the  Ephraimite. 
The  term  congregation  and  the  interest  in  exact  dates  distinguish  the  priestly  parallel.  191'2, 
as  it  stands,  makes  the  Hebrews  arrive  at  Sinai  before  they  left  Rephidim.  The  contradiction 
is  probably  due  to  the  union  of  extracts  from  the  three  sources. 

Num.  331-49  contains  a r6sum6  of  the  journeyings  of  the  I sraelites  from  Egypt  to  the  plains 
of  Moab,  divided  into  40  stages,  corresponding  to  the  traditional  40  years  of  wandering.  It 
incorporates  verbatim  material  from  the  related  Judean  and  priestly  narratives  and  adds  certain 
names  and  a few  statements  not  found  elsewhere.  That  the  chapter  is  from  a very  late  priestly 
editor  is  generally  recognized.  Possibly  some  of  the  supplemental  data  were  derived  from 
early  traditions,  otherwise  lost,  or  they  may  be  based  upon  the  author’s  knowledge  of  the  usual 
caravan  routes.  It  embodies  the  late  traditional  conception  of  the  wilderness  period.  Cf.  for 
more  historical  view  § 86.  To  attempt  to  identify  the  different  desert  stations  is  a thoroughly 
unsatisfactory  and  unprofitable  task.  Conjectures  will  probably  always  continue  to  hold  the 
field. 

More  important  and  tangible  is  the  identification  of  Sinai-Horeb.  Beginning  with  the  fourth 
and  fifth  Christian  centuries,  tradition  has  uniformly  identified  it  with  the  imposing  peak  Jebel 
Musa,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Sinaitic  peninsula.  Cf.  map  opposite  p.  179.  All  the  earliest 
references  in  the  O.T.,  on  the  other  hand,  point  with  equal  unanimity  to  some  one  of  the  west- 
ern spurs  of  Mount  Seir,  not  far  from  Kadesh.  For  detailed  evidence,  cf.  Appendix  VIII.  The 
testimony  of  the  oldest  witnesses  certainly  carries  the  greater  weight,  and  in  the  light  of  this 
identification  many  of  the  difficult  problems  of  Ex.  and  Num.  are  solved. 

[ Num.  33s  Heb.,  Hahiroth.  This  form  evidently  arose  from  a mistaken  reading  of  the 
original  text.  Syr.,  Lat.,  and  certain  Targ.  versions  have  the  correct  reading  given  above. 

177. 


THE  EXODUS 


Ex.  1527] 

Early  J udeanProphetic 

twelve  springs  of  water, 
and  seventy  palm-trees , 
and  they  encamped 
there  by  the  waters. 
The  16  laThen  they  jour- 

nuich  neyed  from  Elim  17  lband 
encamped  in  Rephidim. 
19  2aAnd  after  they  jour- 
neyed from  Rephidim,  they 
came  to  the  -wilderness  of 
Sinai  and  encamped  in  the 
wilderness. 


[Num.  3310 
Late  Priestly  Summary 

10And  they  journeyed  from  Elim, 
and  encamped  by  the  Red  Sea. 
nAnd  they  journeyed  from  the  Red 
Sea,  and  encamped  in  the  wilder- 
journeyed 
in,  and  en- 
camped in  Dophkah.  13aAnd  they 
journeyed  from  Dophkah,  and  en- 
camped in  Alush.  14And  they  jour- 
neyed from  Alush,  and  encamped 
in  Rephidim,  where  there  was  no 
water  for  the  people  to  drink. 
I5And  they  journeyed  from  Rephi- 
dim, and  encamped  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai. 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

the  same  day  of  the 
month,  they  came 
into  the  wilderness 
of  Sinai. 


ness  of  Sin.  12 And  they 
from  the  wilderness  of  S 


178 


i Sea  oj  / 
linnerelh 


Acoho 


Shechem 


-~Mt.  ^ 
Gerizim 


Joppa 


ethel^Ai 

Jerichoo olGilgal  Q 
-V'~>'\Heshbon' 
fLE”  /Medeba0 


X \ Kirjath-Arba 

/ \^y_  (Hebron) 

/ ^^Gerar  O / 0 
^ Ara 
Beershaba  ^ 

- southcoun':ry 

Rehoboth^ 


'LAND  OF 
-vKir  Moab 


MOAB 


Zephath 


IV I L D Eli  A 


/'T.q  OF  GOSHEN 
^ TumUat  Pr_£8ai 


Beer-lahai-roi 

c-Kadesh  Barnea 
OF  ZIN 


LAND 


'BLE 


EDOM 


Ezion?Gcber, 


Jebel  : - ; 

Serba/ 

Traditional  / 

Sinai  - Jebe)  Mu sa 

( t/ebe/  Katrinax  l 


BORMAY 


THE  LAND  of  the  EXODUS 

AND 

WILDERNESS  WANDERING. 


( Ellm  ?) 


THE  HEBREWS  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  AND 
EAST  OF  THE  JORDAN 


Ex.  162-Dt.  3412  ( exclusive  of  legal  material) 


THE  HEBREWS  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  AND 
EAST  OF  THE  JORDAN 


I 

AT  SINAI-HOREB,  Ex.  18,  192b-25,  2018'22-  23a-  24a,  2229'31,  2312- 15-  16- 

18,  19b-33  24I-I8  254'9  2943"46  3118,  29-35  32—3435  354,  20-23 

4017'38,  Num.  1-3,  IO29-32,  ll16-  17-  24b-  30,  121"15, 

Dt.  I9’18,  51’33,  99-21.  26-29,  101'5-  8-11 


§ 75.  Revelation  of  Jehovah  to  the  Israelites,  Ex.  19213-6'  9-s5,  2018-20,  2415b-n 


Early  Judean 

Ex.  19  Whenthey  came 
to  Mount  Sinai,  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  llbZa  will 
come  down  in  the  sight 
of  all  the  people  upon 
Mount  Sinai.  12 And  thou 
shalt  set  limits  for  the 
people  all  about,  with  the 
command,  ‘ Be  careful 


Early  Ephraunite  Prophetic 
19  2bThere  Israel  en- 
camped before  the  moun- 
tain. 3And  Moses  went  up 
to  God,  when  Jehovah  called 
to  him  from  the  mountain,  say- 
ing, Thus  shalt  thou  say  to  the 
house  of  Jacob,  and  tell  the  Is- 
raelites, 4 ‘ Ye  have  seen  what  I 
did  to  the  Egyptians,  and  how  I 
bore  you  on  eagles’  wings,  and 
brought  you  to  myself.  5Now 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

24  15bNow  the  The  pre- 

1 1 . limina- 

cloud  was  covering  ries 
the  mountain, 

16and  the  glory 
of  Jehovah  rested 
upon  Mount  Sinai, 
and  when  the  cloud 
had  covered  it  six 


At  Sinai-Horeb. — Mount  Sinai-Horeb  is  the  centre  about  which  more  than  one-third  of 
all  the  material  of  the  Pentateuch  gathers.  Its  increasing  importance  led  later  editors  re- 
peatedly to  combine  and  harmonize  the  various  traditions.  The  two  early  prophetic  narratives 
each  had  their  cycle  of  stories  and  the  late  priestly  a brief  setting  for  its  large  body  of  laws.  In 
addition,  the  retrospect  of  Israel’s  earlier  history  in  Dt.  contains  still  a fourth  account  of  the 
events  at  Sinai. 

The  peculiar  point  of  view  and  representation  of  each  group  of  narratives  are  clearly  dis- 
cernible and  facilitate  the  analysis.  Cf.  Introd.  chap.  IV.  In  the  Judean  Sinai  is  the  name  of 
the  sacred  mountain;  Jehovah  is  represented  as  coming  down  upon  it  with  smoke  and  fire  in 
the  sight  of  all  the  people;  they  are  warned  not  to  pass  the  bounds  set  and  are  endangered  by 
their  eagerness  to  approach;  Moses  as  before  continues  to  receive  the  communications  of  Je- 
hovah directly  and  nothing  is  said  of  the  tent  of  meeting  or  Joshua.  In  the  Ephraimite  God 
(or  Jehovah)  comes  in  a thick  cloud  and  the  people  hear  as  he  speaks  to  Moses;  they  are  brought 
to  the  foot  of  the  mountain  ( Horeb ),  after  they  have  been  previously  sanctified,  but  they  are 
terrified  in  the  divine  presence  and  request  that  Moses  represent  them;  Joshua  is  the  minister 
of  Moses  at  the  tent  of  meeting. 

In  the  late  priestly  the  glory  of  Jehovah  rests  upon  Mount  Sinai,  which  is  enveloped  in  an 
impenetrable  cloud.  Thither  Moses  goes  to  receive  the  law.  The  details  regarding  the  tent 
of  meeting,  the  census,  the  duties  of  the  priesthood  and  the  ritual  are  presented  at  great  length. 
Each  of  the  four  narratives  is  practically  complete  in  itself.  The  importance  of  the  themes 
doubtless  explains  the  eagerness  of  later  compilers  to  preserve  all  the  traditions  intact. 

It  is  the  united  testimony  of  the  four  different  narratives  that  the  sacred  mount  witnessed 
the  genesis  of  certain  of  Israel’s  fundamental  social  and  religious  institutions.  The  state- 
ment that  Jehovah  spoke  or  wrote  with  his  finger  on  tablets  of  stone  is  also  tradition’s  concrete, 
naive,  but  forcible  manner  of  declaring  the  vital  truth  that  certain  eternal  principles  were  trans- 
mitted from  the  divine  mind  to  the  mind  of  man  and  became  the  basis  of  the  earliest  laws  recog- 
nized by  the  Hebrew  race.  Concerning  Moses’s  relation  to  the  law,  cf . vol.  IV  .,  Introd. 

§ 75  Some  of  the  more  obvious  evidences  of  compilation  in  19  and  20  are:  use  of  both  Je- 
hovah and  God , Sinai  and  the  mountain  in  succeeding  verses:  in  1 97 ' 17.  10  God  has  already 


I9llb  Heb.,  Jehovah. 


181 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


Ex.  1912] 


[Ex.  195,  2416 


Early  Judean 

not  to  go  up  on  the  moun- 
tain nor  even  approach  its 
base;  whoever  touches 
the  mountain  shall  cer- 
tainly be  put  to  death; 
13nothing  shall  touch  itb 
without  being  stoned  to 
death  or  shot  through; 
whether  it  be  beast  or 
man;  he  shall  not  live.’ 
18And  Mount  Sinai  was 
wholly  enveloped  in 
smoke,  because  Jehovah 
came  down  upon  it  in  fire; 
and  the  smoke  of  it  as- 
cended like  the  smoke  of 
a furnace,  and  the  whole 
mountain  quaked  violent- 
ly. 20And  when  Jehovah 
came  down  upon  Mount 
Sinai  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  Jehovah  sum- 
moned Moses  to  the 
top  of  the  mountain ; and 
Moses  went  up.  21And 
Jehovah  said  to  Moses, 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

therefore,  if  ye  will  indeed  obey 
my  voice,  and  keep  my  covenant, 
then  ye  shall  be  my  peculiar 
treasure  from  among  all  peoples  ; 
for  all  the  earth  is  mine  ; 6and 
ye  shall  be  to  me  a kingdom 
of  priests,  and  a holy  nation.’ 
These  are  the  words  which  thou 
shalt  speak  to  the  Israelites. 
9 And  Jehovah  said  to  Moses, 
See,  I come  to  thee  in  a 
thick  cloud,  that  the  people 
may  hear  when  I speak  with 
| thee  and  may  then  believe 
J thee  forever.®  10And  Jeho- 
vah said  to  Moses,  Go  to  the 
people  and  sanctify  them 
j to-day  and  to-morrow,  and 
let  them  wash  their  gar- 
ments, llaand  be  ready  ond 
the  third  day;  for  on  the 
| third  day,  13bwhen  the  ram’s 
j horn  sounds  a long  blast, 

I they  shall  come  up  to  the 
mountain.  14So  Moses  went 
down  from  the  mountain  to 
the  people,  and  sanctified 
the  people ; and  they  washed 
their  garments.  15And  he 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

days,  on  the  sev- 
enth day  he  called 
to  Moses  out  of 
the  midst  of  the 
cloud.  17 And  the 
appearance  of  the 
glory  of  Jehovah 
was  like  devouring 
fire  on  the  top  of 
the  mountain  in 
the  sight  of  the 
Israelites. 


revealed  himself  to  people  through  the  thick  cloud,  but  in  18. 20  Jehovah  is  represented  as  coming 
down  upon  Sinai  for  the  first  time,  and  as  calling  Moses  up  to  him;  in  14.  15  all  the  people  sanctify 
themselves  three  days  before  the  revelation,  but  in  22  the  priests  have  not  yet  sanctified  them- 
selves, in  1916'17, 2018-20  the  people  are  afraid  and  must  be  led,  out,  but  in  1921  they  are  warned  not  to 
break  through  and  gaze.  The  account  of  Moses’s  ascents  and  descents  of  the  mountain  are  also 
confused : in  3 * he  ascends,  in  3b  he  is  below,  in  8 he  ascends  again,  in  14  he  is  below,  in 20  above,  in 
25  below,  but  not  according  to  directions  in  24.  I n 7.  s the  people  agree  to  the  divine  commands 
before  they  have  even  been  conveyed  to  them.  It  is  obvious  that  these  two  verses  have  been 
introduced  here  from  some  later  context.  Cf.  note  § 76.  The  language  and  hortatory  tone 
indicate  that 3b-6,  which  are  not  closely  related  to  the  context,  are  the  additions  of  a late  pro- 
phetic editor.  Cf.  p.  42.  Guided  by  the  respective  characteristics  of  the  different  sources, 
the  analysis  gives  three  distinct  narratives,  consistent  with  the  representation  of  the  stories 
which  precede  and  continue  each. 

An  examination  of  2018ff  shows  that  it  is  the  direct  continuation  of  the  Ephraimite  narra- 
tive in  1919.  2018-21  is  not  a conclusion,  but  a natural  introduction  to  a divine  revelation.  The 

terms  of  the  covenant  follow  2021.  As  will  be  shown  in  § 76,  they  are  closely  analogous  to  the 
Uudean  version  in  Ex.  34.  Furthermore  1924  is  not  a fitting  introduction  to  201-7.  Therefore 
all  the  evidence  furnished  by  the  context  confirms  the  testimony  of  the  contents  (cf.  vol.  IV. 
in  loco)  that  the  familiar  prophetic  decalogue  of  Ex.  201'17  was  not  originally  found  in  cither  of 
the  early  sources,  but,  because  of  its  surpassing  importance  was  later  introduced  into  its  present 
place,  that  it  might  have  the  prominent  position  which  it  deserves.  The  concluding  words  of 
1919,  and  God  answered  him  hy  a voice,  which  originally  preceded  2018,  facilitated  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  later  prophetic  decalogue  at  this  point.  This  was  evidently  done  by  the  editor  who 
combined  the  two  early  narratives,  for  the  late  prophetic  reveal  acquaintance  with  them  in  their 
present  arrangement.  Cf.  Dt.  5,  § 76.  He  also  lived  in  the  full  light  of  the  teachings  of  Amos, 
Hosea,  and  Isaiah,  whose  doctrines  underlie  this  noble  prophetic  decalogue. 

b 19'3  Or  him. 

c 199b  Heb.  adds,  And  Moses  told  the  words  of  the  people  to  Jehovah.  It  is  probably  a dit- 
tography  of  8b . 

d ign»,  15  Heb.,  for. 


182 


Ex.  1921]  THE  REVELATION  OF  JEHOVAH  [Ex.  1913 


Early  Judean 

Go  down,  warn  the  people  solemnly  lest  they 
press  forward  to  see  Jehovah,  and  many  of 
them  perish.  22And  let  the  priests  also  who 
come  near  Jehovah,  sanctify  themselves  lest 
Jehovah  break  forth  upon  them. 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Nar- 
ratives 

said  to  the  people,  Be  ready 
on  the  third  day;  do  not 
come  near  a woman. 


23Then  Moses  said 
to  Jehovah,  The  peo- 
ple cannot  come  up  to 
Mount  Sinai;  for  thou 
didst  solemnly  charge 
us,  saying,  ‘ Set  limits 
about  the  mountain 
and  sanctify  it’. e 

24But  Jehovah 
said  to  him,  Go 
down;  then  thou 
shalt  come  up  to- 
gether with  Aaron;f 
but  let  not  the 
priests  and  the 
people  press  for- 
ward to  mount  up 
to  Jehovah,  lest  he 
break  forth  upon 
them.  25So  Moses 
went  down  to  the 
people  and  told 
them. 


16And  on  the  third  day,  when  morning  came,  there  MoBes 
were  thunderings  and  lightnings,  and  a thick  cloud  upon  spokes- 
the  mountain,  and  a loud  trumpet  blast  sounded;  and  Jehovah 
all  the  people  who  were  in  the  camp  trembled.  17Then 
Moses  brought  the  people  out  of  the  camp  to  meet  God, 
and  they  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  19And 
when  the  blast  of  the  trumpet  grew  louder  and  louder, 

Moses  spoke  and  God  answered  him  by  a voice.  20l8And 
all  the  people  heard  the  thunderings8  and  the  blast  of 
the  trumpet,  and  saw  the  lightnings,  and  the  mountain 
smoking ; and  when  the  people  saw  it  they  stood  trem- 
bling at  a distance.  19And  they  said  to  Moses,  Speak  to 
us  yourself  and  we  will  hear;  but  do  not  let  God  speak 
to  us,  lest  we  die.  20But  Moses  said  to  the  people. 

Do  not  be  afraid,  for  God  has  come  for  the  sake  of 
testing  you  and  in  order  that  the  fear  of  him  may  be 
before  you  to  restrain  you  from  sin. 


§ 76.  The  Establishment  and  Terms  of  the  Covenant  between  Jehovah  and 
Israel  Ex  191’  8,  2o2l_23a’ 24a,  2229-31,  2312>  15>  16a’ 18’ 19l>,  24'~15a’  18, 

3118,  34>-5-  10-35,  Dt.  51"33,  99’  10 


Early  Judean 

Ex.  34  JThen 
Jehovah  said  to 
Moses,  Hew  out 


Ephraimite 

Ex.  20 

21Then  the 
people  stood 


Late  Prophetic 

Dt.  5 xThen 
Moses  summon- 
ed all  Israel 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

Ex.  24 18aAnd  Moses  Giving 
entered  into  the  midst  mand- 

ments  to 

Moses 


• 1923  Apparently  an  harmonistic  note  added  by  an  editor  who  recalled  12  and  inferred  from  14 
(Ephraimite)  that  the  sanctification  in  22  was  preliminary  to  the  ascent.  Vs.  22  may  likewise 
be  from  a redactor  or  the  reference  may  be  to  Nadab  and  Abihu,  241. 

f 1924  This  clause,  as  in  the  plague  stories,  § 61,  noter,  seems  to  have  been  added  by  an  editor. 

« 2018  Heb.,  people  saw  the  thunderings.  But  Sam.  has  a logical  text  which  is  followed 
above. 

§ 76  The  Judean  account  of  the  theophany  in  Ex.  19  naturally  introduces  the  establishment 
of  a covenant.  Analogies  lead  us  to  expect  a brief  formulation  of  the  essential  obligations 
assumed  by  the  Israelites  in  their  solemn  contract  with  Jehovah.  That  such  a group  of  short 
commandments,  presumably  in  the  form  of  a decalogue,  originally  followed  the  Judean  version 
in  19  seems  certain.  The  introduction  by  the  editor,  who  combined  the  two  early  prophetic 
narratives,  of  the  later  and  nobler  decalogue,  201'17,  note  § 75,  made  it  necessary  to  give  the 
original  Judean  decalogue  a new  setting.  Since  the  editor  who  made  these  changes  was  also 
acquainted  with  the  Ephraimite  account  of  the  people’s  apostasy  and  the  breaking  of  the  tables 
of  the  law,  § 77,  he  may  have  concluded  that  the  Judean  had  a similar  tradition,  or  the  complete 
Judean  narrative  may  have  substantiated  this  conclusion.  Whatever  be  the  facts,  he  appears 


183 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


Ex.  341,  2021] 


[Dt.  51,  Ex.  2418a 


Early  Judean 

two  stone  tablets, 
like  the  first  and  I 
will  write  upon  the 
tablets  the  words 
which  were  on  the 
first  tablets  which 
thou  didst  break. h 
2And  be  ready  by 
morning,  and 
come  up  in  the 
morning  toMount 
Sinai,  and  pre- 
sent thyself  there 
to  me  on  the  top 
of  the  mountain. 
3 And  no  one  shall 
come  up  with 
thee;  neither  let 


Ephraimite 

at  a d i s- 
tance,  and 
Moses  ap- 
proached 
the  thick 
d a r k n e ss 
where  God 
was.  22aAnd 
God  said 
to  Moses, 
Thus  shalt 
thou  say  to 
the  Israel- 
ites: 


Late  Prophetic 

and  said  to 
them,  Hear,  O 
Israel  the  stat- 
utes and  ordi- 
nances which  I 
speak  in  your 
hearing  to-day, 
that  you  may 
learn  them,  and 
be  careful  to  ob- 
serve  them. 
2 Jehovah  our 
God  made  a 
covenant  with 
us  in  Horeb. 
3 Jehovah  d i d 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

of  the  cloud,  and  went 
up  on  the  mountain. 
31 18aAnd  when  he  had 
finished  talking  with 
him  on  Mount  Sinai, 
[Jehovah]  gave  Moses 
the  two  tablets  of  the 
testimony. 

34  29 And  when  Mo- 
ses came  down  from 
Mount  Sinai  with  the 
two  tablets  of  the  testi- 
mony in  his1  hand,  as 
he  came  down  from  the 
mountain,  Moses  did 


to  have  added  a few  harmonistic  touches  to  conform  it  to  the  Ephraimite  tradition  of  two  new 
tables  of  the  law  and  by  this  simple  device  was  able  to  introduce  the  original  Judean  decalogue 
immediately  after  the  account  of  the  apostasy  and  its  punishment  in  32  and  33.  Recognizing 
these  editorial  additions,  and  restoring  the  Judean  decalogue  to  its  original  setting,  a consistent 
narrative  is  obtained.  The  importance  of  the  different  decalogues  and  the  interest  which  cen- 
tred in  them  explains  why  they  were  all  expanded  and  supplemented  by  later  explanatory  and 
hortatory  notes  whicli  have  been  incorporated  in  the  different  commandments  as  they  now  stand. 
The  whole  subject  will  be  treated  fully  in  vol.  IV.,  where  the  detailed  reasons  will  be  given. 
In  the  present  connection  it  will  be  sufficient  to  introduce  simply  what  appears  to  have  been 
the  short  original  versions. 

After  Moses  returns  with  the  tablets  of  the  words  of  the  covenant , S427'  28,  the  two  verses  which 
bear  clear  evidence  of  Judean  origin,  but  which  at  present,  as  a result  of  the  complex  process 
of  compilation  apparent  in  19,  are  inconsistent  with  their  setting  in  197.  8,  at  once  become  in- 
telligible. Even  the  unusual  idiom,  set  before , in  7,  is  explained.  The  completion  of  the  Judean 
narrative  is  found  in  241- 2,  9.  u,  which  corresponds  to  the  covenant  feast  in  the  Ephraimite.  The 
linguistic  affinities  of  the  passage  are  with  the  late  priestly,  and  Nadab  and  Abihu  are  men- 
tioned elsewhere  only  in  that,  source.  § 93,  but  a theophany,  like  the  one  which  it  records,  is 
unknown  to  these  late  narratives,  while  it  is  characteristic  of  the  Judean. 

The  laws  which  follow  the  elaborate  Ephraimite  introduction  in  19  and  2018-22  include  three 
diverse  elements,  the  first  two  of  which  are  related  in  language  and  thought  to  the  source:  (1)  a 
group  of  direct  divine  commands  found  in  2023-26,  22s  3l,  and  2310-19,  which  define  the  duties  of 
the  nation  to  Jehovah  in  connection  with  the  ritual.  These  are  called  Words,  243,  and  are  the 
terms  of  the  nation’s  covenant  with  Jehovah  in  the  Ephraimite  narratives,  248.  (2)  Judgments, 
cf.  211.  The  Heb.  title  rightly  describes  them:  they  are  civil,  criminal,  and  humanitarian 
regulations,  defining  the  duties  of  individuals  to  each  other,  and  intended  for  the  guidance  of 
judges.  Cf.  vol.  IV.  in  loco.  (3)  Later  explanatory  and  hortatory  additions.  Eliminating 
the  latter,  the  words  are  found  to  consist  of  a decalogue,  of  which  six  regulations  agree  in 
content  and  in  most  cases  verbatim  with  the  original  ten  Words  in  the  Judean  narratives, 
Ex.  34.  The  Ephraimite  version  of  the  covenant-sacrifice  is  found  in  243-8.  In  this  source 
the  presentation  of  the  tables  of  the  law  is  referred  to  the  close,  2412-14.  18b,  3118b.  The  term 
mountain  of  God,  the  position  of  Joshua  as  Moses’s  minister  in  2413,  and  the  role  of  Aaron  and 
Hur  as  his  deputies  in  14  confirm  the  classification. 

As  usual  the  late  prophetic  follow  a combined  version  of  the  two  earlier  prophetic  narratives. 
The  familiar  decalogue  of  201-17  already  occupied  its  present  position,  but  the  late  prophetic 
tradition  follows  a slightly  different  version.  The  introduction  to  the  late  priestly  parallel 
illustrates  all  the  characteristics  of  that  source:  the  sacred  mountain  is  called  Sinai,  3118,  the 
two  inscribed  stones,  tablets  of  the  testimony;  the  glory  of  Jehovah,  2417,  is  reflected  on  the  face  of 
Moses,  when  he  returns  from  communing  with  God  in  the  cloud.  The  priestly  account  of  the 
theophany  is  divided  that  the  detailed  instructions  regarding  the  tent  of  meeting  or  sacred 
dwelling  may  be  introduced,  251-3111.  Its  version  of  the  decalogue  in  35,  which  is  clearly  antici- 
pated by  the  introduction,  these  are  the  words  which  Jehovah  hath  commanded  that  you  should 
do  them,  is  abridged — so  that  only  the  word  regarding  the  sabbath  remains — in  order  to  intro- 
duce the  extended  account  of  the  building  of  the  dwelling  and  its  furniture,  SS^O.  Cf.  vol.  IV. 

h 341  Duplicated  almost  verbatim  in  Dt.  1012,  which  is  generally  recognized  as  a late  addition 
to  the  Deuteronomic  history. 

i Ex.  34c9  Heb.,  Moses’s;  Sam.,  his.  The  tautology  is  probably  due  to  the  combination  of 
two  distinct  narratives. 


184 


Ex.  343,  2023a]  TERMS  OF  THE  COVENANT  [Dt.  53,  Ex.  3429 


Early  Judean 

any  one  be  seen  in 
any  part  of  the 
mountain,  nor  let 
the  flocks  and 
herds  feed  before 
that  mountain. 
4So  he  hewed  out 
two  stone  tablets 
like  the  first ; and 
Moses  rose  early 
in  the  morning, 
and  went  up  to 
Mount  Sinai,  as 
Jehovah  had  com- 
manded him,  and 
took  in  his  hand 
two  stone  tablets. 


Ephraimite 


Late  Prophetic 

not  make  this 
covenant  with 
our  fathers,  but 
with  us,  even  us, 
who  are  all  of  us 
here  alive  to- 
day. 4Jehovali 
spoke  with  you 
face  to  face  in 
the  mountain 
from  the  midst 
of  the  fire,  5 (I 
stood  between 
Jehovah  and  you 
at  that  time,  to 
show  you  the 
word  of  Jeho- 


Latc  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

not  know  that  the  skin 
of  his  face  was  shining-1 
because  he  had  been 
speaking  with  him. 
30And  when  Aaron  and 
all  the  Israelites  saw 
Moses,  behold,  the  skin 
of  his  face  was  shining; 
and  they  were  afraid  to 
come  near  him.  31But 
Moses  called  them,  and 
Aaron  and  all  the  rulers 
of  the  congregation  re- 
turned to  him,  and 
Moses  spoke  to  them. 
32 And  afterward  all  the 


5Then  Jehovah  de- 
scended in  the  cloud, 
and  [Moses]  stood 
with  him  there 
and  called  on  the 
name  of  Jehovah. 

10  And  [Jehovah] 
said,  Behold,  I 
make  a covenant; 
before  all  thy  people 
I will  do  wonderful 
things,  such  as  have 
not  been  done  in  all 
the  earth,  nor  in  any 
nation  ; and  all  the 
people  among  whom 
thou  art  shall  see  the 
work  of  Jehovah ; 
for  it  is  a terrible 
thing  that  I am 
about  to  do  with 
you.  ilaObserve 
that  which  I com- 
mand thee  to-day : 

I.  14aThou  shalt  worship 
no  other  God. 

II.  17Thou  shalt  make 
thee  no  molten  gods. 


vah ; for  you 
were  afraid  be- 
cause of  the  fire, 
and  did  not  go 
up  into  the 
mountain)  say- 
ing, 6‘I  am  Je- 
hovah thy  God, 
who  brought 
thee  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt, 
out  of  the  house 
of  bondage. 


Israelites  came  near; 
and  he  gave  them  in 
commandment  all  that 
Jehovah  had  spoken 
with  him  in  Mount 
Sinai.  33  And  when 
Moses  had  finished 
speaking  with  them,  he 
put  a veil  on  his  face. 
:i4But  as  often  as  Moses 
went  in  before  Jehovah  to 
speak  with  him,  he  took 
the  veil  off  until  he  came 
out ; then  he  came  out  and 
spoke  to  the  Israelites  that 
which  he  was  commanded. 
35But  when  the  Israelites 
saw  the  face  of  Moses,  that 
the  skin  of  Moses’s  face 
shone,  Moses  put  the  veil 
upon  his  face  again,  until 
he  went  in  to  speak  with 
himk. 


I.  ^“Thou  shalt  make 
thee  no  gods  of  silver 
or  gold. 

II.  24aAn  altar  of  earth 
shalt  thoumake  for  me. 


I.  7ThOU  Shalt  The 
have  no  other  logue 
gods  before  me. 

II. 8aThou  shalt 
not  make  to  thee 
a carved  image. 


i Ex.  S-f29  Heb.  lit.,  was  emitting  rays  of  light.  The  root  is  cognate  to  the  noun  horn.  Lat. 
and  Aquila  translate,  horned.  Cf.  the  two  horns  of  Michel  Angelo’s  Moses. 

k 3454-35  Apparently  a note  which  assumes  the  existence  of  the  tent  of  meeting  and  represents 
Moses’s  practice  at  the  time  of  his  ascent  of  Sinai  as  continuous. 

185 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


Presen- 
ts ition  of 
the  ten 
c<  >ra- 
mand- 
ments  to 
the  peo- 
ple 


Ex.  3418a] 


[Ex.  2229a,  Dt.  5lla 


Early  Judean 

HI  18arpjle  feasl  0f  un_ 

leavened  bread  shalt 
thou  keep. 


IV.  19aEvery  first-born 
s mine. 

V.  20cNone  shall  ap- 
pear before  me  empty- 
handed. 


VI.  21aSix  days  shalt 
thou  toil,  but  on  the  sev- 
enth thou  shalt  rest. 


VII.  22a'  Thou  shalt  ob- 
serve the  feast  of  weeks 
and  ingathering  at  the 
end  of  the  year. 

VIII.  Thou  shalt  not 
offer  the  blood  of  my 
sacrifice  with  leaven,  nor 
shall  the  fat  of  my  feast™ 
be  left  until  morning. 

IX.  26aTlie  best  of  the 
first-fruits  of  thy  land 
shalt  thou  bring  to  the 
house  of  Jehovah  thy 
God. 

X.  26bThou  shalt  not 
seethe  a kid  in  its  moth- 
er’s milk. 

27Then  Jehovah  said 


Ephraimite 

III.  22  “Thou  shalt 
not  delay  to  bring  offer- 
ings from  the  abun- 
dance of  thy  harvests 
and  the  outflow  of  thy 
presses.1 

IV.  29bThe  first-born 
of  thy  sons  shalt  thou 
give  to  me. 

V.  “Likewise  shalt 
thou  do  with  thy  ox  an  d 
thy  sheep;  seven  day" 
shall  it  remain  with  its 
mother ; on  the  eight b 
day  fhou  shalt  give  it 
to  me. 

VI.  Tien  holy  to  me 
shall  ye  be;  therefore 
ye  shall  not  eat  flesh 
torn  in  the  field.  To  the 
dogs  shall  ye  cast  it. 

VII.  23  12  Si  x days 
thou  shalt  do  thy  work, 
but  on  the  seventh  thou 
shalt  rest. 

VIII.  15, 10Thou  shalt 
observe  the  feast  of  un- 
leavened bread,  the 
feast  of  harvest,  and 
the  feast  of  ingathering 
at  the  end  of  the  year. 

IX.  Thou  shalt  not 
offer  the  blood  of  my 
sacrifice  with  leaven, 
nor  shall  the  fat  of  my 
feast  be  left  until  morn- 
ing. 

X.  19llThou  shalt  not 
seethe  a kid  in  its 
mother’s  milk. 


Late  Prophetic 

Narratives 

III.  lla  Thou 
shalt  not  take  the 
name  of  J ehovah 
thy  God  in  vain. 

IV.  12‘Observe 
the  sabbath  day 
to  keep  it  holy. 

V. 16lHonor  thy 
father  and  thy 
mother. 


VI.  "Thou 
shalt  do  no  mur- 
der. 


VII.  “Thou 
shalt  not  com- 
mit adultery.11 

VIII.  “Thou 
shalt  not  steal. 


IX.  “Thou 
shalt  not  bear 
false  witness 
against  thy 
neighbor. 

X.  2la  Thou 
shalt  not  covet 
thy  neighbor’s 
wife. 


Ex.  24  Then  Moses 


22These  words  Jeho- 


to  Moses,  Write  these 
words; for  in  accordance 
with  these  words  have  I 


came  and  told  the 
people  all  the  words  of 
Jehovah,  and  all  the  or- 


vah  spoke  to  all  your 
assembly  on  the  moun- 
tain from  the  midst  of 


1 Ex.  2229a  Heb.,  From  thy  fulness  and  tears  thou  shalt  not  delay.  Gk.,  First-fruits  of  the 
threshing  floor  and  wine  press.  Lat.,  Thy  tithes  and  firstlings. 

m Ex.  3425  Heb.,  the  feast  of  the  passover.  But  Ex.  231S  has  the  more  natural  reading,  my 
feast.  Passover  was  probably  inserted  to  harmonize  this  law  with  Dt.  164. 

■ Dt.  518  So  Gr.  The  Heb.  introduces  commandments  V1I.-X.  with  and. 

186 


TEEMS  OF  THE  COVENANT  [Ex.  243,  Dt. 


Ex.  3427] 

Early  Judean 

made  a covenant  with 
thee  and  with  Israel. 
28And  he  was  there  with 
Jehovah  forty  days  and 
forty  nights;  he  neither 
ate  bread  nor  drank  wa- 
ter. And  he  wrote  upon 
the  tablets  the  words  of 
the  covenant,  the  ten 
words  [Decalogue]. 
19  7Then  Moses  came 
and  called  for  the  elders 
of  the  people,  and  set  be- 
fore them  all  these  words 
which  Jehovah  com- 
manded him. 

8And  all  the 
people  answer- 
ed together,  and 
said,  All  that 
Jehovah  hath 
spoken  we  will 
do.  And  Moses 
reported  the 
words  of  the 
people  to  Jeho- 
vah. 24  xAnd 
[Jehovah]  said 
to  Moses,  Come 
up  to  Jehovah, 
together  with 
Aaron,  and  Na- 
dab,  and  Abihu, 
and  seventy  of 
the  elders  of  Is- 
rael, and  wor- 
ship at  a dis- 
tance; 2 a n d 
Moses  alone 
shall  come  near 
to  Jehovah;  but 


Ephraimite 

dinances ;°  and  all  the 
people  answered  with 
one  voice,  and  said,  All 
the  words  which  Jeho- 
vah hath  spoken  we  will 
do.  4aAnd  Moses  wroten 
down  all  the  words  of  Je- 
hovah. 


522 

Late  Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

the  fire,  and  the  cloud, 
and  the  thick  dark- 
ness, with  a loud  voice; 
and  he  added  no  more. 
And  he  wrote  them 
upon  two  stone  tablets 
and  gave  them  to  me. 


J 

4bThen  he  rose  up 
early  in  the  morning 
and  built  an  altar 
under  the  mountain 
and  twelve  pillars, 
according  to  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Is- 
rael. 5 And  he  sent 
young  men  of  the  Is- 
raelites, who  offered 
burnt-offerings,  and 
sacrificed  peace-offer- 
ings of  oxen  to  Jeho- 
vah. 6 And  Moses 
took  half  of  the  blood 
and  put  it  in  basins; 
and  half  of  the  blood 
he  sprinkled  on  the 
altar.  7And  he  took 
the  book  of  the  cove- 
nant, and  read  in  the 
hearing  of  the  people ; 
and  they  said,  All  that 
Jehovah  hath  spoken  we 
will  obediently  do.i 
8Then  Moses  took 
the  blood,  and  sprin- 


23 And  when  you  heard  the  voice  Accept- 
out  of  the  midst  of  the  darkness,  the"  peo- 
while  the  mountain  was  burning  sifefnn 
with  fire,  you  came  near  to  me,  even  tionof 
all  the  chiefs  of  your  tribes,  and  t^s  of 
your  elders,  24and  you  said,  ‘ Be-  nant°v<* 
hold,  Jehovah  our  God  hath 
showed  us  his  glory  and  his  great- 
ness, and  we  have  heard  his  voice 
from  the  midst  of  the  fire;  we  have 
seen  this  day  that  God  doth  speak 
with  man,  yet  he  lives.  25Now 
therefore  why  should  we  die?  for 
this  great  fire  will  consume  us;  if 
we  hear  the  voice  of  Jehovah  our 
God  any  more,  then  we  shall  die. 

26For  what  man  is  there  who 
has  heard  the  voice  of  the  living 
God  speaking  out  of  the  midst  of 
the  fire,  as  we  have,  and  lived? 

27Go  near  thyself  and  hear  all  that 
Jehovah  our  God  shall  say  and 
speak  thou  to  us  all  that  Jehovah 
our  God  shall  speak  to  thee;  and 
we  will  hear  it  and  do  it.’ 


0 Ex.  243  Evidently  added  in  recognition  of  the  two  diverse  elements  in  2023-2319.  Vss.  *■* 
refer  only  to  words. 

pEx.  244a  Inconsistent  with  the  rest  of  the  Ephraimite  narratives  which  state,  12 , 3211',  that 
God  wrote  down  the  laws. 

1 Ex.  247  Vss.  3 and  7 are  duplicated,  of  which  3 seems  to  be  the  original,  for  unlike  7 it 
does  not  imply  that  the  laws  had  been  written  down  as  is  first  recorded  in  12  and  3118b,  3218. 

187 


Ex.  242- 8] 

Early  Judean 

they  shall  not 
come  near;  nei- 
ther shall  the 
people  go  up 
with  him.  9So 
Moses  went  up 
together  with 
Aaron,  Nadab, 
and  Abihu,  and 
seventy  of  the 
elders  of  Israel, 
10and  they  saw 
the  God  of  Is- 
rael; and  under 
his  feet  it  was 
like  a pavement 
of  sapphire 
stone,  and  like 
the  very  sky  for 
clearness. 11  And 
against  the 
nobles  of  the 
Israelites  he  did 
not  stretch  out 
his  hand;  s.o 
they  beheld 
God  and  ate 
and  drank. 


AT  SINAI-HOREB  [Dt.  528 


Early  Ephraimite 

kled  it  on  the  people, 
and  said,  Behold,  the 
blood  of  the covenant 
which  Jehovah  hath 
made  with  you  ac- 
cording to  all  these 
words.  12Then  Jeho- 
vah said  to  Moses, 
Come  up  to  me  on 
the  mountain  and  be 
there,  and  I will  give 
thee  the  stone  tablets 
with  the  law  and  the 
commandments 
which  I have  written, 
that  thou  mayest 
teach  them.  13So 
Moses  rose  with  Josh- 
ua his  attendant,  and 
Moses  went  up  on  the 
mountain  of  God. 
14And  he  said  to  the 
elders,  Wait  here  for 
us  until  we  come 
back  to  you ; and  be- 
hold, Aaron  and  Hur 
are  with  you;  who- 
ever has  a complaint3 
let  him  come  to  them. 
15aAnd  Moses  went 
up  on  the  mountain; 
18band  Moses  was  on 
the  mountain  forty 
days  and  forty  nights. 
31  18bAnd  Jehovah 
gave  him  the  two 
stone  tablets  written 
with  the  finger  of 
God. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

28 And  when  Jehovah  heard  the 
tenor  of  your  words,  as  you  spoke  to 
me,  Jehovah  said  to  me,  ‘I  have 
heard  the  tenor  of  the  words  of  this 
people,  which  they  have  spoken  to 
thee;  they  have  well  said  all  that 
they  have  spoken.  29 Would  that 
they  might  have  this  mind  in  them 
continually1- to  fear  me  and  keep  all 
my  commandments,  that  it  may  be 
well  for  them,  and  for  their  children 
forever!  30Go  say  to  them,  “Re- 
turn to  your  tents.”  31  But  as  for 
thee  stand  thou  here  by  me,  and  I 
will  speak  to  thee  all  the  command- 
ment, and  the  statutes,  and  the  or- 
dinances which  thou  shalt  teach 
them,  that  they  may  do  them  in  the 
land  which  I am  giving  them  to  pos- 
sess.’ 32You  shall  be  careful  to  do, 
therefore,  as  Jehovah  your  God 
hath  commanded  you ; you  shall  not 
turn  aside  to  the  right  hand  or  to 
the  left.  33You  shall  walk  in  all  the 
way  which  Jehovah  your  God  hath 
commanded  you  that  you  may  live 
and  that  it  may  be  well  with  you, 
and  that  you  may  prolong  your  days 
in  the  land  which  you  shall  possess. 

9 9Now  when  I went  up  into  the 
mountain  to  receive  the  stone  tab- 
lets, even  the  tablets  of  the  cove- 
nant which  Jehovah  made  with  you, 
I remained  in  the  mountain  forty 
days  and  forty  nights ; I neither  ate 
bread  nor  drank  water.  10And  Je- 
hovah delivered  to  me  the  two  stone 
tablets  written  with  the  finger  of 
God;  and  on  them  were  written 
all  the  words  which  Jehovah  spoke 
to  you  in  the  mountain  out  of  the 
midst  of  the  fire  in  the  day  of  the 
assembly. 


r Dt.  529  Heb.,  would  that  this,  their  heart  was  theirs  continually. 
* Ex.  2414  Heb.,  master  of  words. 


APOSTASY  OF  THE  PEOPLE 


[Ex.  321 


§ 77.  Apostasy  of  the  People,  Ex.  32,  Dt.  9"-21' 2<M®,  10*-" 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Ex.  32  xNow  when  the  people  saw  that  Moses  delayed  to  come  down  Worship 
from  the  mountain,  the  people  gathered  about  Aaron,  and  said  to  him,  molten 
Come,  make  us  gods  who  shall  go  before  us;  for  we  do  not  know  what  has  made  by 
become  of  this  Moses  the  man  who  brought  us  up  from  the  land  of  Egypt.  Aaron 
2Then  Aaron  said  to  them.  Tear  off  the  gold  rings  which  are  in  the  ears  of 
your  wives,  of  your  sons,  and  of  your  daughters  and  bring  them  to  me. 

3So  all  the  people  tore  off  the  gold  rings  which  were  in  their  ears,  and 
brought  them  to  Aaron.  4And  when  he  took  [the  gold]  from  their  hands, 
he  fashioned  it  with  a graving  instrument*  and  made  it  into  a molten  calf, 
and  they  said.  These  are  your  gods,  O Israel,  who  brought  you  up  from 
the  land  of  Egypt.  5And  when  Aaron  saw  it,  he  built  an  altar  before  it. 

Aaron  also  made  a proclamation,  To-morrow  a festival  shall  be  held  to 
Jehovah.  6So  they  arose  early  the  next  day,  and  offered  burnt  offerings 
and  brought  peace  offerings;  and  the  people  sat  down  to  eat  and  drink  and 
rose  up  to  amuse  themselves. u 


§ 77  Originally  32  and  33  immediately  followed  24  and  thus  the  late  prophetic  source,  Dt. 
911-21,  knew  them,  before  the  late  priestly  editor  separated  them  to  introduce  the  description 
of  the  dwelling.  The  close  parallels  in  Dt.  9U_21  indicate  that,  by  the  time  of  the  Babylonian 
exile  at  least,  32  was  in  its  present  form.  In  general  it  assumes  the  premises  already  presented 
in  the  Ephraimite  narratives.  The  rings  and  ornaments  from  which  the  golden  calf  was  made 
appear  in  this  source  alone,  Ex.  II2,  1238.  Aaron  is  the  leader  of  the  people  in  Moses’s  absence. 
Cf.  2414.  Joshua  is  his  minister  and  companion  in  17.  Cf.  2412.  It  is  also  consistent  with  the 
same  source  which  represents  Moses  as  spending  forty  days  on  the  mountain  after  the  sacri- 
ficial feast  and  during  that  time  receiving  the  tablets  of  the  law.  The  Judean  and  priestly 
(which  usually  agree)  assign  the  giving  of  the  tablets  to  Moses  to  a position  before  the  public 
declaration  of  their  contents,  § 76.  The  Judean  narratives  apparently  contain  no  protest 
against  the  high  places,  with  their  many  images,  which  were  inherited  by  the  Hebrews  from 
the  Canaanites.  It  is  the  Ephraimite  and  late  prophetic  (Deut.)  writers,  who,  influenced  by  the 
spirit  of  a later  age,  discountenance  all  representations  of  the  Deity.  It  would  seem  therefore 
that  there  was  no  tradition  of  apostasy  at  Sinai  in  the  early  Judean  source. 

Ex.  32,  however,  reflects  different  points  of  views.  Thus  in  14  Moses  secures  Jehovah’s  for- 
giveness for  the  people,  but  in  28  they  are  severely  punished.  In  17  Moses  appears  to  be  entirely 
ignorant  of  the  facts  revealed  to  him  by  Jehovah  in  7"14.  For  reasons  already  noted,  3218  16-21 
are  evidently  from  the  Ephraimite  source.  The  language,  the  strong  religious  tone  and  the 
different  point  of  view  of  9-14  indicate  that  they  are  from  a later  prophetic  hand.  Their  kinship 
with  Dt.  911-21  is  especially  close.  Regarding  25-29  there  is  more  doubt.  The  linguistic  evidence 
is  not  decisive,  although  it  rather  favors  the  Ephraimite  source.  The  preceding  context  is  also 
not  complete  without  25_29.  The  priestly  writers  have  a very  different  tradition  regarding  the 
origin  of  the  Levitical  priesthood,  cf.  Ex.  28,  and  the  Judean  represent  priests  as  already 
appointed,  Ex.  1922’  24.  Dt.  339,  which  is  usually  assigned  to  the  Ephraimite  group,  contains  a 
poetic  allusion  to  the  story  found  in  Ex.  3225-29.  In  the  light  of  all  the  evidence  it  seems  probable, 
therefore,  that  this  is  the  northern  Israelitish  account  of  the  origin  of  the  order  of  the  Levites 
who  ministered  at  the  different  shrines,  although  Joshua  figures  in  the  same  source  as  the  min- 
ister at  the  tent  of  meeting.  It  probably  embodies  a very  old  prophetic  tradition  concerning  a 
rebellion  of  the  people  at  Horeb.  The  story  of  the  molten  calf  in  which  Aaron  figures  is  prob- 
ably later,  although  both  may  have  found  a place  in  the  original  Ephraimite  source.  Vs.  33 
forms  the  natural  conclusion  to  25~29.  Late  terms,  like  atonement  in  30,  the  metaphor  of  a book 
in  32 , the  deep  sense  of  sin,  and  the  probable  allusion  in  34 b to  the  destruction  of  the  northern 
kingdom  all  indicate  that  3°-34  are  from  a later  prophetic  hand. 

While  the  late  prophetic  parallel  in  Dt.  911'29  is  closely  based  on  Ex.  32,  the  order  has 
been  changed  either  accidentally  or  intentionally,  that  the  record  of  Jehovah’s  forgiveness 
in  g29'29  and  its  parallel  in  1010  might  be  brought  into  close  connection,  with  the  command 
to  depart  in  10u.  In  the  above  classification  what  was  probably  the  original  order  has  been 
restored. 

108’  9 apparently  refers  to  the  conclusion  of  the  narrative  in  Ex.  3226  29  which  seems  to  have 
been  left  out  by  the  later  editor  who  combined  the  priestly  version,  but  which  is  implied  by  that 
portion  of  the  story  which  remains.  The  priestly  parallel  is  found  in  Num.  182'4. 

4 Ex.  324  Syr.,  in  a mould.  One  Gk.  text,  with  skill. 

“ Ex.  32®  Probably  referring  to  the  sacred  dances.  Cf. 18 • 19. 

189 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


Jeho- 
vah’s 
com- 
mand to 
Moses 


Moses’s 
interces- 
sion for 
the  peo- 
ple 


Ex.  327] 


[Dt.  9u 


Early  Ephraimite 

7Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Go  down, 
for  your  people  whom  you  brought  up 
from  the  land  of  Egypt,  have  corrupted 
themselves;  8they  have  turned  aside  quickly 
out  of  the  way  which  I commanded  them; 
they  have  made  a molten  calf  for  themselves, 
and  have  worshipped  it  and  sacrificed  to  it, 
and  said,  ‘These  are  your  gods,  O Israel, 
which  brought  you  up  from  the  land  of 
Egypt.’ 


9Jehovah  also  said  to  Moses,  I have  seen  this 
people,  and  behold,  it  is  a wilful  people.  10Now 
therefore  let  me  alone  that  mine  anger  may  bum 
against  them  and  that  I may  consume  them  ; but  I 
will  make  thee  a great  nation.  nMoses,  however, 
sought  to  appease  Jehovah  his  God,  saying,  Je- 
hovah, why  doth  thine  anger  burn  against  thy  peo- 
ple whom  thou  hast  brought  forth  from  the  land  of 
Egypt  with  great  strength  and  mighty  power? 
12  VGiy  should  the  Egyptians  say,  ‘ It  was  with  evil 
intent  that  he  led  them  forth  to  slay  them  in  the 
mountains  and  to  consume  them  from  the  face  of  the 
earth  ? ’ Turn  from  thy  fierce  auger  and  repent  of 
this  evil  against  thy  people.  '^Remember  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Israel,  thy  servants,  to  whom  thou  swarest 
by  thine  own  self  and  didst  say,  ‘I  will  multiply 
your  descendants  as  the  stars  of  the  heaven,  and  all 
this  land  that  I have  spoken  of  will  I give  to  your 
descendants,  and  they  shall  inherit  it  forever.’ 
uThen  Jehovah  repented  of  the  evil  which  he  said 
he  would  do  to  his  people. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Dt.  9 nNow  it  came  to  pass 
at  the  end  of  forty  days  and 
forty  nights,  that  Jehovah  gave 
me  the  two  stone  tablets,  even 
the  tablets  of  the  covenant. 
12Then  Jehovah  said  to  me, 
‘Arise,  go  down  quickly  from 
here,  for  your  people  whom 
you  have  brought  forth  from 
Egypt  have  corrupted  them- 
selves; they  have  quickly 
turned  aside  out  of  the  way 
which  I commanded  them; 
they  have  made  for  themselves 
a molten  image.’ 

1 furthermore  Jehovah  said 
to  me, ‘I  have  seen  this  peo- 
ple, and  behold,  it  is  a wilful 
people.  14Let  me  alone  that  I 
may  destroy  them,  and  blot 
out  their  name  from  under 
heaven;  but  I will  make  of  you 
a nation  mightier  and  more 
numerous  than  they.’ 

26But  I interceded  with  Je- 
hovah, saying,  ‘O  Lord  Jeho- 
vah, destroy  not  thy  people 
and  thine  inheritance,  that 
thou  hast  redeemed  through 
thy  greatness,  that  thou  hast 
brought  forth  out  of  Egypt 
with  mighty  power.  ^Remem- 
ber thy  servants,  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob;  look  not  at 
the  stubbornness  of  this  peo- 
ple, nor  at  their  wickedness, 
nor  at  their  sin,  28lest  the  land 
whence  thou  broughtest  us 
out  say,  “Because  Jehovah 
was  not  able  to  bring  them 
into  the  land  which  he  prom- 
ised to  them,  and  because  he 
hated  them,  he  hath  brought 
them  out  to  slay  them  in  the 
wilderness.”  29Yet  they  are 
thy  people  and  thine  inherit* 


’190 


Ex.  3215] 

Early  Ephraimite 

15And  Moses  turned  and  went  down  from 
the  mountain  with  the  two  tablets  of  the 
testimony  in  his  hand, — tablets  written  on 
both  their  sides;  on  the  one  side  and  on  the 
other  were  they  written.  16And  the  tablets 
were  the  work  of  God,  and  the  writing  was 
the  writing  of  God,  engraved  upon  the  tab- 
lets. 17And  when  Joshua  heard  the  noise  of 
the  people  as  they  shouted,  he  said  to  Moses, 
There  is  a noise  of  war  in  the  camp.  18But 
he  replied,  This  is  not  the  shout  of  conquer- 
ors, nor  the  cry  of  those  who  are  vanquished ; 
but  it  is  the  sound  of  those  who  sing,v  that  I 
hear.  19And  it  came  to  pass,  as  soon  as  he 
came  near  to  the  camp,  that  he  saw  the  calf 
and  the  dancing;  and  Moses  was  very  angry, 
and  he  threw  the  tablets  out  of  his  hands, 
and  broke  them  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 
20Then  he  took  the  calf  which  they  had 
made,  and  burnt  it  with  fire,  and  grinding 
it  to  powder,  he  scattered  it  upon  the  water, 
and  made  the  Israelites  drink  of  it. 


21And  Moses  said  to  Aaron,  What  did 
this  people  do  to  you,  that  you  have  caused 
them  to  commit  so  great  a sin?  22 And 
Aaron  said,  O my  lord,  do  not  be  so  angry ! 
you  know  the  people,  that  they  were  in  an 
evil  plight.  23For  they  said  to  me,  ‘Make 
us  gods  which  shall  go  before  us;  for  as 
for  this  Moses,  the  man  who  brought  us  up 
from  the  land  of  Egypt,  we  do  not  know 
what  has  become  of  him.’  24So  I said  to 
them,  ‘Whoever  has  any  gold,  let  them  tear 
it  off ; and  when  they  gave  it  to  me,  I cast  it 
into  the  fire  and  out  came  this  calf.* 


[Dt.  929 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 
ance  which  thou  broughtest 
out  by  thy  great  power  and 
by  thine  outstretched  arm.’ 

15So  I turned  and  came  Punish- 
down  from  the  mountain,  while  their  °f 
the  mountain  was  on  fire,  and  apostaBJ 
the  two  tablets  of  the  cove- 
nant were  in  my  two  hands. 

16And  I looked,  and,  behold, 
you  had  sinned  against  Jeho- 
vah your  God;  you  had  made 
a molten  calf;  you  had  turned 
aside  quickly  out  of  the  way 
which  Jehovah  had  com- 
manded you.  17Therefore  I 
took  hold  of  the  two  tablets, 
and  threw  them  out  of  my 
hands,  and  broke  them  before 
your  eyes.  21And  I took  the 
evidence  of  your  sin,  the  calf 
which  you  had  made,  and 
burnt  it  with  fire  and  crushed 
it,  grinding  it  very  small  until 
it  was  as  fine  as  dust;  then  I 
cast  the  dust  of  it  into  the 
brook  that  flowed  down  from 
the  mountain. 

18And  I fell  prostrate  be-  Moses’s 
fore  Jehovah,  as  at  the  first,  for  “on61111 
forty  days  and  forty  nights;  I 
neither  ate  bread  nor  drank 
water;  because  of  all  your  sin 
which  you  had  committed,  in 
doing  that  which  was  displeas- 
ing to  Jehovah,  to  vex  him. 

19For  I was  in  dread  of  the 
anger  and  hot  displeasure, 
which  Jehovah  felt  against  you 
so  strongly  that  he  wishedw  to 
destroy  you.  Jehovah,  how- 
ever, hearkened  to  me  that 
time  also.  20But  Jehovah  was 
so  angry  with  Aaron  that  he 
wished  to  destroy  him;  there- 


’ Ex.  3218  Syr.  and  Sam.,  of  sins. 

w Dt.  91S  Heb.  lit.,  which  Jehovah  burned  with  anger  against  you  to  destroy  you. 

191 


APOSTASY  OF  THE  PEOPLE 


Ex.  3225] 

Early  Ephraimite 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


zeal  of  25Now  when  Moses  saw  that  the  people 
vites  in  had  thrown  off  all  restraint  (since  Aaron  had 
Jehovah  given  them  the  reins,  to  become  an  object  of 
their  re-  derision* *  among  their  enemies)  26Moses 
ward  stood  in  the  gate  of  the  camp  and  said,  Who- 
ever belongs  to  Jehovah,  come  to  me.  And 
all  the  sons  of  Levi  came  together  to  him. 
27Then  he  said  to  them,  Thus  saith  Jehovah 
the  God  of  Israel,  ‘Let  each  man  gird  his 
sword  on  his  thigh,  and  pass  back  and 
forth  from  gate  to  gate  in  the  camp,  and  let 
each  man  kill  his  brother,  and  each  man  his 
friend,  and  each  man  his  kinsman.’  28And 
the  sons  of  Levi  did  according  to  the  in- 
junction of  Moses,  and  there  fell  of  the 
people  that  day  about  three  thousand  men. 
29 And  Moses  said.  Consecrate  yourselves 
to-day  to  the  service  of  Jehovahy  (for  every 
man  was  against  his  son  and  against  his 
brother)  that  he  may  now  bestow  a blessing 
upon  you. 

Jeho-  30Then  on  the  following  day  Moses  said  to  the 
vah’s  people,  You  have  committed  a great  sin,  therefore 
ness  and  I will  S°  up  to  Jehovah,  perhaps  I may  make  atone- 
promise  ment  for  your  sin.  31And  Moses  returned  to  Je- 
wiffi'his  h°vah  and  said,  Alas  ! this  people  have  committed  a 
people  great  sin,  and  have  made  them  gods  of  gold.  32 Yet 
now,  if  thou  wilt  forgive  their  sinz — but  if  not, 
blot  me,  Ipray  thee,  out  of  thy  book  which  thou  hast 
written.  33But  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Whoever 
has  sinned  against  me,  him  will  I blot  out  of  my 
book.  34 And  now  go,  lead  the  people  to  the  place  of 
which  I told  thee ; behold,  my  Messenger  shall  go 
before  you ; nevertheless  in  the  day  when  I punish, 
I will  bring  the  punishment  of  their  sin  upon  them. 

35Thus  Jehovah  smote  the  people  because 
they  had  made  the  calf  (which  Aaron  had 
prepared). 


[Dt.  92» 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 
fore  I interceded  for  Aaron 
also  at  the  same  time. 

10  8At  that  time  Jehovah 
separated  the  tribe  of  Levi  to 
bear  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of 
Jehovah,  to  stand  before  Je- 
hovah to  minister  to  him,  and 
to  bless  in  his  name,  as  they  do 
to  this  day.  9Therefore  Levi 
has  no  portion  nor  inheritance 
with  his  brothers;  Jehovah  is 
his  inheritance,  as  Jehovah 
your  God  promised  him. 


10Then  I stayed  on  the 
mountain,  as  at  the  first  time, 
forty  days  and  forty  nights. 
And  Jehovah  hearkened  to  me 
that  time  also;  Jehovah  would 
not  destroy  you.  11Jehovah 
also  said  to  me,  ‘Arise,  jour- 
ney before  the  people  and  they 
shall  go  in  and  possess  the 
land  which  I promised  with  an 
oath  to  their  fathers  to  give 
to  them.’ 


§78.  Jehovah’s  Promise  to  Lead  his  People,  Ex.  2320~33,  331-b  i2-83,  34*-* 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 


Early  Ephraimite  Narratives 


Com-  Ex.  33  xThen  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Set  Ex.  [33la,  3233a'  34 a]  Then 
depart  out  from  here  on  the  journey,  with  the  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Go 


1 Ex.  3225  Heb.,  whispering. 

J Ex.  32s  Heb.,  fill  your  hands  for  Jehovah.  The  idiom  used  in  2841  to  describe  the  initiation 
of  a priest  into  this  office. 

* Ex.  3232  An  example  of  the  broken  sentence  which  is  not  uncommon  in  the  Heb.  narratives. 
§ 78  Ex.  33  contains  several  distinct  elements.  Vss.  ]-4  are  continued  by  12 and  348-9. 
Vss.s_u  are  concerned  with  the  tent  of  meeting.  The  command  to  depart  in  32s4*  is  duplicated 

192 


Moses’s 
demand 
that  Je- 
hovah in 
person 
lead  his 
people 


Ex.  33* 1]  JEHOVAH’S  PROMISE  [Ex.  2320 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

people  that  thou  hast  brought  up  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt,  to  the  land  which  I promised 
with  an  oath  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to 
Jacob,  saying,  ‘To  thy  descendants  I will  give 
it,’  3ato  a land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey; 
17bfor  thou  hast  found  favor  in  my  sight,  and 
I know  thee  by  name.3, * * 

12Then  Moses  said  to  Jehovah,  See,  thou 
sayest  to  me,  ‘ Lead  this  people  up,’  but  thou 
hast  not  let  me  know  whom  thou  wilt  send 
with  me.  Yet  thou  hast  said,  ‘I  know  thee 
by  name  and  thou  hast  also  found  favor  in 
my  sight.’  13Now  therefore,  I pray  thee,  if 
I have  found  favor  in  thy  sight,  show  me 
now  thy  waysb,  that  I may  know  thee  so 
that  I may  indeed  find  favor  in  thy  sight. 
Also  consider  that  this  nation  is  thy  people. 
14And  he  said,  I will  go  with  thee  in  person 


Early  Ephraimite  Narratives 

lead  the  people  to  the  place 
whither  1 have  commanded 
thee.  23  20Behold,  I send  a 
Messenger  before  thee,  to  keep 
thee  by  the  way,  and  to  bring 
thee  to  the  place  which  I have 
prepared.  21 *Be  careful  before 
him  to  hearken  to  his  voice; 
do  not  rebel  against  him,  for 
he  will  not  pardon  your  trans- 
gression; for  my  name  is  in 
him.c  22But  if  thou  shalt 
hearken  to  his  voice,  and  do 
all  that  I say,  then  I will  be  an 
enemy  to  thine  enemies,  and  an 
adversary  to  thine  adversaries. 
23For  my  Messenger  shall  go  before 
thee,  and  bring  thee  to  the  Amor- 
ites,  the  Hittites,  the  Perizzites,  the 


in  331.  Vs.  1 repeats  the  divine  promise  to  the  patriarchs  which  is  peculiar  to  the  Judean  source. 
Cf.  Gen.  1518,  247.  Vs.3a  is  the  continuation  of  l.  Cf.  38.  These  vss.  contain  Jehovah’s  promise 
to  lead  his  people  to  Canaan  and  are  not  only  in  the  language,  but  also  in  the  spirit  of  the  Judean 
narratives,  which  apparently  knew  nothing  of  the  tradition  of  the  sin  of  the  molten  calf,  § 77. 
The  same  is  true  of  12 -23  and  its  logical  sequel,  346-9.  Their  contents  recall  the  account  (in  the 
same  source)  of  Moses’s  hesitation  when  first  summoned  to  lead  his  people,  410-16 *,  § 61.  A later 
prophet,  inspired  with  a strongly  evangelical  purpose,  has  amplified  the  dialogue  between  Moses 
and  Jehovah.  This  is  especially  evident  in  3318- 19  and  346-7.  Possibly  the  same  editor,  cer- 
tainly the  one  who  united  the  two  early  narratives  and  was  familiar  with  the  Ephraimite  tra- 
dition of  the  apostasy,  cf.  especially  3 * *29  and  335,  has  introduced  abruptly  in  333b-  4a  and  349b  an 
element  foreign  to  the  rest  of  the  story. 

In  the  later  editorial  revision  the  Ephraimite  version  seems  to  have  been  greatly  disarranged 
and  curtailed.  Cf.  also  note  § 79.  Only  a fragment  of  Jehovah’s  command  to  enter  Canaan  has 
been  retained.  It  may  be  restored,  however,  from  the  editorial  quotation  in  3234a.  332,  which 

contains  a characteristic  idea,  also  expressed  in  the  language  of  the  Ephraimite  narratives,  and 

I will  send  a Messenger  before  thee;  and  I will  drive  out  the  C anaanite , the  Amorite,  etc.,  seems  also 

to  be  the  editor’s  substitute  for  the  original  version  now  found  in  2320-^,  which  opens  with 

almost  identically  the  same  words.  In  its  setting,  2320  33  is  primitive,  for  it  deals  with  the  de- 

parture from  Sinai,  while  its  context  is  concerned  with  the  covenant  laws  which  have  not  yet 

been  ratified  nor  inscribed  on  the  tablets  of  stone.  232°-22a  also  seem  to  point  to  the  tent  of  meet- 

ing through  which,  according  to  the  Ephraimite  narratives,  Jehovah  constantly  revealed  his  will 

to  the  people,  337 *-11 *.  The  passage  has  been  expanded  by  a late  prophet  imbued  with  a didactic 

purpose  (cf.27 *-  31b  with  29  - 30).  It  may  have  been  removed  from  its  original  context  because  the 

editor  regarded  it  as  inconsistent  with  the  account  of  Israel’s  apostasy,  which  immediately  pre- 

ceded. The  promises  are  conditional,  however,  and  are  only  the  fuller  version  of  333b,  which 

he  did  retain.  Echoes  of  the  story  of  the  apostasy  are  found  in  333b4.  They  also  lead  up  to 

the  original  account  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  7-u,  'which  stood  outside  the  camp  and  was  the 

promised  substitute  for  Jehovah’s  presence  in  their  midst.  The  idea  is  characteristic  of  the 

Ephraimite  narratives  which  conceive  of  the  Deity  in  a far  less  anthromorphic  manner  than  the 

Judean,  cf.  p.  39.  It  may  belong  to  a later  stratum.  Vs. 4b  is  lacking  in  the  Gk.  and  its  mean- 

ing is  obscure,  for  it  seems  to  contradict  fi.  Ornaments  is  peculiar,  however,  to  the  Ephraimite 

source. 

It  is  a deeply  significant  fact  that  at  each  important  stage  in  the  history  of  the  Israelites  their 

Erophets  recognized  the  divine  presence  and  guidance,  and  in  the  later  development  of  the 

istory  saw  the  fulfilment  of  Jehovah’s  purpose.  Back  on  the  canvas  of  their  past  history 

they  projected  the  eternal  principles  by  which  all  national  life  and  progress  are  conditioned. 

Moses  was  made  to  join  with  Amos,  Isaiah,  and  Jeremiah  in  heralding  those  solemn  truths  which 

give  the  O.T.  its  undying  value. 

a 3317b  Vs.  12  quotes  the  promise  in  17b.  Its  original  position  appears  to  have  been  before  12. 

Many  different  suggestions  have  been  made  with  a view  to  eliminating  the  seeming  inconsist- 

encies in  this  chapter.  With  this  minor  transposition  one  of  the  most  serious  difficulties  dis- 

appears. 

b 3313 * *  Heb.,  way. 

• 2321  I.  e.,  represents  my  character  and  authority. 

193 


Jeho- 
vah’s as- 
surances 
that  his 
Messen- 
ger will 
lead 
them  to 
victory 
and 

prosper- 

ity 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


Jeho- 
vah’s re- 
sponse 
and  sign 


Ex.  3314J 


[Ex.  2323 


Early  Judean 

and  will  bring  thee  to  the  appointed  place. 
15 And  he  said  to  him.  If  thou  dost  not  go 
with  us  in  person,  do  not  lead  us  up  from 
here.  16For  how  then  shall  it  be  known 
that  I have  found  favor  in  thy  sight,  I and 
thy  people,  if  it  is  not  in  that  thou  goest  with 
us,  so  that  we  shall  be  distinguished,  I and 
thy  people,  from  all  the  people  which  are  on 
the  earth? 

17aAnd  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  I will  do 
this  thing  also  of  which  thou  hast  spoken. 
18And  he  said,  Show  me,  I pray  thee,  thy  glory. 
19 And  he  said,  I will  make  all  my  glory  pass  before 
thee,  and  will  announce  the  name  of  Jehovah  before 
thee ; and  I will  be  gracious  to  whom  I will  be  gra- 
cious, and  will  show  mercy  to  whom  I will  show 
mercy.  20But  he  said,  Thou  canst  not  see 
my  face;  for  no  man  shall  see  me  and  live. 
21And  Jehovah  said,  See,  there  is  a place  by 
me,  and  thou  mayest  stand  upon  the  rock, 
22and  while  my  glory  passeth  by  I will  put 
thee  in  a cleft  of  the  rock  and  cover  thee 
with  my  hand  until  I have  passed  by; 
23then  I will  take  away  my  hand,  and  thou 
mayest  see  my  back ; but  my  face  must  not 
be  seen.  34  6So  Jehovah  passed  by  before 
him,  while  he  cried,  Jehovah,  Jehovah,  a God  mer- 
ciful and  gracious,  slow  to  anger,  and  abundant  in 
loving-kindness  and  truth ; ’keeping  loving-kind- 
ness for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity  and  transgres- 
sion and  sin,  although  he  does  not  leave  it  unpun- 
ished, visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the 
children,  and  the  children’s  children,  upon  the  third 
and  the  fourth  generation.  8Then  Moses  quickly 
bowed  his  head  toward  the  earth  and  wor- 
shipped, 9saying,  If  now  I have  found  favor 
in  thy  sight,  O Lord,  let  the  Lord,  I pray 
thee,  go  in  the  midst  of  us,  for  it  is  a wilful 
people ; yet  pardon  our  iniquity  and  our  sin,  and 
take  possession  of  us. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 

Canaanites,  the  Hivites,  and  the 
Jebusites,  and  I will  annihilate 
them.  24Thou  shalt  not  bow  down 
to  their  gods,  nor  serve  them,  nor 
do  according  to  their  works  ; but 
thou  shalt  completely  throw  them 
down,  and  break  in  pieces  their' 
pillars.  25But  ye  shall  serve  Je- 
hovah your  God,  and  he  shall 
bless  thy  bread,  and  thy  wa- 
ter, and  I will  take  away  sick- 
ness from  thy  midst.  26There 
shall  be  in  thy  land  none  who 
miscarry  or  are  barren;  the 
number  of  thy  days  I will 
make  full.  2,I  willsendbeforethee 
the  terror  which  I inspire,  and  I 
will  throw  into  dismay  all  the 
people  to  whom  thou  shalt  come, 
and  I will  make  all  thine  enemies 
turn  their  backs  to  thee.  28I  will 
also  send  the  hornet  before 
thee,  which  will  drive  out 
the  Hivites,  the  Canaanites, 
and  the  Hittites  from  before 
thee.  29I  will  not  drive  them 
out  from  before  thee  in  one 
year,  lest  the  land  become 
desolate,  and  the  beasts  of  the 
field  multiply  against  thee. 
30Little  by  little  I will  drive 
them  out  from  before  thee, 
until  thou  art  increased,  and 
have  possession  of  the  land.4 
31  And  I will  make  thy  terri- 
tory extend  from  the  Red  Sea 
even  to  the  sea  of  the  Philis- 
tines®, and  from  the  wilderness 
to  the  River  [Euphrates],  for  I 
will  deliver  the  inhabitants  of  the 
land  into  thy  power ; and  thou 
shalt  drive  them  out  before  thee. 
32Thou  shalt  make  no  covenant  with 
them  nor  with  their  gods.  33They 
shall  not  dwell  in  thy  land,  lest 
they  make  thee  sin  against  me  ; for 
if  thou  serve  their  gods,  it  will  sure- 
ly be  a snare  to  thee.  33  313  But 
I will  not  go  up  in  the  midst  of 
thee — for  thou  art  a wilful 


d 2330  For  still  other  reasons,  cf.  § 135. 

• 2331  /.  e.,  the  Mediterranean.  Cf.  the  modern  name  Palestine , i.  e.,  land  of  the  Philistines. 

194 


JEHOVAH’S  PROMISE 


[Ex.  333b 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

people — that  I may  not  destroy  thee  on  the  way.  4And  when  the  people 
heard  these  evil  tidings  they  mourned  and  no  man  put  on  his  ornaments. 


§79.  Tent  of  Meeting,  Ex.  335-11,  25'-9,  2943-«  354-20"23,  4017-38,  Dt.  102»-5 


Early  Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

Ex.  33  5And 
Jehovah  said  to 
Moses,  Say  to  the 
Israelites,  ‘Ye  are 
a wilful  people;  if 
I go  up  into  the 
midst  of  thee  for 
one  moment,  I 
shall  consume 
thee,  therefore  put 
off  thy  ornaments 
from  thee,  that  I 
may  know  what  to 
do  to  thee.’ 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Ex.  25  !And  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  2Command  the  Divine 
Israelites  that  they  take  for  me  a special  offering;  from  tionsre- 
every  man  whose  heart  maketh  him  willing  ye  shall  themaS- 
take  my  offering.  3 And  this  is  the  special  offering  which  {Jif  £ent 
ye  shall  take  from  them:  gold,  silver,  brass,  4violet, 
purple,  and  red  cloth,  fine  linen,  goats’  hair,  5rams’ 
skins  dyed  red,  seal  skins,  acacia  wood,  6oil  for  the 
light,  spices  for  the  anointing  oil,  and  for  the  sweet 
incense,  7onyx  stones  and  precious  stones  for  the  ephod 
and  for  the  breast  plate.  8And  let  them  make  me  a 
sanctuary,  that  I may  dwell  among  them.  9Exactly  as 
I show  thee  the  plan  of  the  dwelling  and  of  all  its  furni- 
ture, even  so  shall  ye  make  it.  29  43 And  there  I will 
meet  the  Israelites  and  the  tent  shall  be  sanctified  by  my 
glory.  44Thus  I will  sanctify  the  tent  of  meeting,  and 
the  altar.  Aaron  also  and  his  sons  will  I sanctify  that 
they  may  minister  to  me  as  priests.  45 And  I will  dwell 
among  the  Israelites  and  be  their  God.  46 And  they 
shall  know  that  I am  Jehovah  their  God,  who  brought 
them  forth  from  the  land  of  Egypt,  that  I might  dwell 
among  them:  I am  Jehovah  their  God. 


§ 79  Ex.  337-u  describes  the  tent  of  meeting.  It  assumes  its  existence,  although  the  con- 
struction of  the  priestly  dwelling-place  for  Jehovah  and  ark  is  not  recorded  in  Ex.  until  35-40. 
The  tent  of  meeting  in  337-11  is  very  different  from  that  described  in  35-40.  It  stands  outside 
the  camp  at  a distance  (cf.  also  Num.  11s.  24-30,  124)  and  is  in  the  charge  of  Joshua;  while  the 
priestly  dwelling  is  in  the  midst  of  the  camp,  Num.  2,  and  may  be  entered  only  by  the  sons  of 
Aaron.  It  is  evident  that  they  represent  distinct  versions  of  the  tradition.  In  337  11  the  refer- 
ences to  Moses,  to  the  pillar  of  the  cloud,  and  to  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  are  all  conclusive  proofs 
that  this  section  was  taken  from  the  Ephraimite  source.  The  allusions  to  the  tent  of  meeting 
indicate  that  it  was  originally  preceded  by  an  account  of  its  construction,  which  the  late  priestly 
editor,  who  introduced  the  elaborate  description  of  the  construction  of  the  ark  and  dwelling  in 
35-40,  for  obvious  reasons  left  out.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  parallel  references  in  Dt.  10i  r', 
which  was  based  upon  the  earlier  sources. 

Traces  of  the  original  Ephraimite  account  of  the  making  of  the  tent  of  meeting  are  found  in 
336b,  6t  since  the  only  reason  for  despoiling  the  Israelites  of  their  ornaments  would  be  to  secure 
material  for  its  equipment.  This  conclusion  is  confirmed  by  the  priestly  parallel,  25*.  2-  7.  3521. 
It  also  explains  why  in  the  Ephraimite  narratives  the  Hebrews  were  commanded  to  ask  jewels 
of  silver  and  gold  from  their  neighbors,  ll2,  and  why  when  they  departed,  they  are  represented 
as  despoiling  the  Egyptians,  1236,  § 71.  In  the  latter  passage  the  same  peculiar  word  is  used 
as  in  6. 

In  the  oldest  tradition,  therefore,  the  connection  between  the  rebellion  and  the  apostasy 
of  the  people  at  Sinai  and  the  tent  of  meeting  seems  to  have  been  very  close.  Both  were  made 
from  the  jewels  taken  from  the  Egyptians.  The  tent  of  meeting,  apart  from  the  camp  where 
Jehovah  could  be  consulted  simply  through  Moses,  was  substituted  for  the  more  direct  form  of 
revelation  which  was  vouchsafed  them  before  their  apostasy.  Cf.  6 and  § 76.  After  they  had 
sinned  the  presence  of  the  Holy  One  in  their  midst  would  mean  their  destruction.  This  idea, 
however,  may  have  been  introduced  by  a later  editor. 

In  the  more  primitive  Judean  narratives  there  is  no  reference  to  the  tent.  It  was  not 
needed,  for  revelation  still  came  directly  by  word  of  mouth  from  Jehovah,  whose  back  Moses 
was  allowed  to  see.  3321  23.  The  ark,  however,  appears  as  the  symbol  of  the  divine  presence. 
Cf.  Num.  IO33.  36'  36 . From  the  priestly  parallel  and  the  subsequent  references  to  it,  it  may 

195 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


[Ex.  354 


Its  con- 
struc- 
tion and 
arrange- 
ment 


Jeho- 
vah's 
presence 
within  it 


Ex.  336] 


Early  Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

6So  the  Israel- 
ites despoiled 
themselves  of  their 
ornaments  from 
Mount  Horeb  on- 
ward, and  with 
these  Moses  made 
a tent 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

35  4Then  Moses  told  all  the  congregation  of  the  Israelites 
that  which  Jehovah  commanded.  20 And  all  the  congregation  of 
the  Israelites  departed  from  the  presence  of  Moses.  21And  every 
one,  whose  heart  inspired  him,  came,  and  every  one,  whose  spirit 
made  him  willing,  brought  Jehovah’s  offering,  for  the  construc- 
tion of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  for  all  its  service,  and  for  the 
holy  garments.  22And  they  came,  both  men  and  women,  as  many 
as  were  willing-hearted,  and  brought  pendants,  nose-rings,  signet- 
rings,  and  necklaces,  all  jewels  of  gold ; even  every  man  that  offered 
an  offering  of  gold  to  Jehovah.  2:And  every  one  who  had  in  his 
possession  violet,  purple  and  red  cloth,  fine  linen,  goats’  hair, 

rams’  skins  dyed  red  and  seal  skins,  brought  them 

40  17So  it  came  to  pass  in  the  first  month  of  the 
second  year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  that  the 
dwelling  was  set  up.  I8Then  Moses  set  up  the  dwelling,  and 
laid  its  sockets,  and  set  up  its  boards,  and  put  in  its  bars,  and  set 
up  its  pillars.  111  And  he  spread  the  tent  over  the  dwelling  and 
put  the  protecting  covering  of  the  tent  above  it,  as  Jehovah  com- 
manded Moses.  20Then  he  took  and  placed  the  testimony f in  the 
ark,  and  put  the  staves  on  the  ark,  and  put  the  cover  on  the  top  of 
the  ark ; 21and  he  brought  the  ark  into  the  dwelling,  and  put  up 
the  veil  of  the  screen,  and  screened  the  ark  of  the  testimony,  as 
Jehovah  commanded  Moses.  2- And  he  placed  the  table  in  the 
tent  of  meeting  upon  the  north  side  of  the  dwelling  outside  the 
veil.  23 And  he  set  the  bread  in  order  upon  it  before  Jehovah,  as 
Jehovah  commanded  Moses.  24  And  he  put  the  candlestick  in  the 
tent  of  meeting,  opposite  the  table,  on  the  south  side  of  the  dwell- 
ing. 25He  also  lighted  the  lamps  before  Jehovah,  as  Jehovah  com- 
manded Moses.  26 And  he  put  the  golden  altar  in  the  tent  of 
meeting  before  the  veil ; 27and  he  burnt  on  it  incense  of  sweet 
spices,  as  Jehovah  commanded  Moses.  28And  he  put  the  screen 
in  the  door  of  the  dwelling. * ?aAnd  he  set  the  altar  of  burnt-of- 
fering at  the  door  of  the  dwelling  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  and  of- 
fered upon  it  the  burnt-offering  and  the  meal-offering,  as  Jehovah 
commanded  Moses.  30  And  he  set  the  laver  between  the  tent  of 
meeting  and  the  altar,  and  put  water  in  it  with  which  to  wash. 
31  And  Moses  and  Aaron  and  his  sons  washed  their  hands  and  their 
feet  in  it,  32as  often  as  they  went  into  the  tent  of  meeting,  and 
when  they  came  near  to  the  altar  they  washed,  as  Jehovah  com- 
manded Moses. h 33Finally  he  set  in  order  the  court  about  the 
dwelling  and  the  altar,  and  set  up  the  screen  of  the  gate  of  the 
court.  So  Moses  finished  the  work. 


7Now  Moses  used  to  take  the  tent  and 


34Then  the  cloud  covered  the 


pitch  it  outside  the  camp  at  some  distance  tent  of  meeting,  and  the  glory 
from  the  camp  and  he  called  it  the  tent  of  of  Jehovah  filled  the  dwelling. 


be  inferred  that  the  Judean  narratives  once  contained  an  account  of  the  construction  of  the  ark. 
This  seems  to  be  directly  confirmed  by  Dt.  101-6.  The  passage  is  apparently  a later  addition 
to  the  Deuteronomic  narrative  and  is  based  upon  Ex.  34  in  its  revised  form.  Vss.  \<  2 , however, 
repeat  Ex.  34l  practically  verbatim,  showing  that  the  later  editor  was  following  this  entire  pas- 
sage very  closely.  He  continues,  probably  reproducing  the  lost  Judean  original  (with  its  har- 
monistic  revisions):  2b.  . „ . And  thou  shalt  put  them  [ the  tablets]  in  the  ark.  3 So  I made  an  ark 
of  acacia  wood  and  hewed  out  the  tablets  of  stone  similar  to  the  first,  and  went  up  into  the  mountains , 
having  the  two  tablets  in  my  hand.  AAnd  he  wrote  on  the  tablets  according  to  the  first  writing , the  ten 
commandments  which  Jehovah  spoke  to  you  in  the  mountain  from  the  midst  of  the  fire  on  the  day  of 
the  assembly ; and  Jehovah  gave  them  to  me.  6 Then  I turned  and  came  down  from  the  mountain 
and  put  the  tablets  in  the  ark  which  I had  made;  and  then  they  ate  as  Jehovah  commanded.  In 
further  confirmation  of  the  above  conclusion,  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  conception  of  the  rev- 
elation at  Sinai  is  the  one  peculiar  to  the  Judean  narratives.  Cf.  §§  75,  76.  Extracts  from  the 
late  priestly  tradition,  sufficient  simply  to  indicate  its  contents,  are  here  presented.  Ex.  35-40 
are  generally  recognized  as  among  the  very  latest  additions  to  the  O.T.  Cf.  vol.  IV\  in  loco . 
f 40>o  The  late  priestly  designation  of  the  tablets  of  the  law. 
b 4028  Omitted  in  Gk. 

b 4Q29b-32  Omitted  in  Gk.  Evidently,  like  28-  33h,  very  late  additions  to  the  Heb. 

196 


Ex.  337]  TENT  OF  MEETING  [Ex.  4034 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic 

meeting.  And  whenever  any  one  wished  to 
consult  Jehovah,  he  would  go  out  to  the 
tent  of  meeting,  which  was  outside  the  camp. 

8And  whenever  Moses  went  out  to  the  tent, 
all  the  people  would  rise  and  stand,  every 
man  at  his  tent  door,  and  look  after  Moses 
until  he  had  gone  into  the  tent.  9And  when 
Moses  had  entered  into  the  tent,  the  pillar  of 
cloud  would  descend,  and  stand  at  the  door 
of  the  tent,  while  Jehovah  spoke  with  Moses. 

10And  whenever  the  people  saw  the  pillar 
of  cloud  standing  at  the  door  of  the  tent, 
all  the  people  stood  up  and  worshipped, 
every  man  at  his  tent  door.  11Thus  Jeho- 
vah used  to  speak  with  Moses  face  to  face, 
as  a man  speaks  to  his  friend.  Then  he 
would  return  to  the  camp;  but  his  attendant 
Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  a young  man,  did 
not  leave  the  tent. 

80.  Visit  of  Moses’s  Father-in-law,  Ex.  181*1*,  Num.  1029-M 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Ex.  18  JNow  when  Jethro  the  priest  of  Midian,  Moses’  father-in-law,  heard 
of  all  that  God  had  done  for  Moses  and  for  Israel  his  people,  how  that  Jehovah 
had  brought  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  -Jethro,  Moses’  father-in-law,  took  Zippo- 
rah,  Moses’  wife,  after  he  had  sent  her  away,  3and  her  two  sons  of  whom 
the  name  of  one  was  Gershom  [An  alien  resident  there]  ;*  for  he  said,  I have 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

35And  Moses  was  not  able  to 
enter  into  the  tent  of  meeting 
because  the  cloud  rested  upon 
it  and  the  glory  of  Jehovah  filled 
the  dwelling.  :!6But  whenever  the 
cloud  was  taken  up  from  over  the 
dwelling,  the  Israelites  went  on- 
ward, during  all  their  journeys; 
37but  if  the  cloud  was  not  taken  np9 
then  they  did  not  march  until  the 
day  that  it  was  taken  up.  38For 
the  cloud  of  Jehovah  was  upon  the 
dwelling  by  day,  and  there  was  fire 
in  it  by  night,  in  the  sight  of  all 
the  house  of  Israel,  during  all  their 
journeys. 


§ 80  Although  widely  removed,  it  is  evident  that  Ex.  18  and  Num.  1029'32  relate  to  the 
same  incident  and  are  fragments  of  variant  versions  of  the  same  tradition.  Ex.  18  has  no 
real  connection  with  its  context.  Dt.  I9'18,  which  follows  the  original  order  of  the  prophetic  nar- 
ratives, places  the  judicial  organization  after  the  establishment  of  the  covenant  at  Sinai,  Ex. 
19-24,  34.  Ex.  2414  is  inconsistent  with  18,  if  the  latter  orecedes.  1822-27  is  best  understood  im- 
mediately before  the  departure  from  Horeb.  Vs.  5 states  that  the  Israelites  were  encamped  at 
the  mountain  of  God.  Cf . 191.  Vs. 7 refers  to  the  tent.  Finally  Num.  1029-32  definitely  locates  the 
visit  of  Moses's  father-in-law  at  this  point.  Its  original  position,  therefore,  seems  to  be 
perfectly  established.  When  the  detailed  laws  of  Ex.  20-23  were  added,  a later  editor  prob- 
ably regarded  18  as  inconsistent  after  them  and  accordingly  removed  it  to  its  present  position. 

Ex.  18  contains  the  Ephraimite  version  of  the  tradition.  In  addition  to  the  other  linguistic 
evidence,  it  is  significant  that  the  divine  name,  God , is  constantly  employed.  Jethro  is  also 
peculiar  to  this  source,  while  in  the  Judean  Hobab  is  the  name  of  Moses’s  father-in-law,  Num.1029. 
According  to  the  Judean  narratives,  420  - 25,  Moses  had  but  one  son,  and  his  wife  and  child 
accompanied  him  to  Egypt.  Vs.  2b  is  clearly  added  with  a view  to  harmonizing  the  two  variant 
traditions.  Vs.  3 is  possibly  based  on  222.  Vss.  b~7  contain  traces  of  two  distinct  stories:  after 
Jethro  has  addressed  Moses,  5-  6,  the  latter  is  represented  in  7 as  going  out  to  meet  him.  Vss.  9- 10 
may  also  be  duplicates  of  s.  It  is  impossible,  however,  to  disentangle  with  assurance  the  par- 
allel version.  The  original  introduction  to  the  Judean  fragment  in  Num.  1029  32  is  probably  to 
be  found  in  Ex.  187-  ®-u.  Ex.  18  and  Num.  1029-32  relate  different  incidents  in  the  same  story, 
so  that  they  stand  not  as  parallels  but  in  sequence. 

To  these  fragments  may  be  added  the  allusions  in  Judg.  I16,  411  (cf.  § 114,  noteu),  which 
indicate  that  the  Midianite  tribe,  known  as  the  Kenites,  to  which  Moses’s  father-in-law  appears 
to  have  belonged,  did  accompany  the  Hebrews  to  Canaan,  notwithstanding  the  statement  in 
Ex.  1827.  The  story  is  important  because  of  the  light  which  it  sheds  upon  that  obscure  tribe, 
which  later  shared  with  the  Israelites  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  through  Moses  undoubtedly 
exerted  a powerful  influence  upon  the  faith  of  the  latter. 

i igJ  Cf.  222,  note  § 60. 


The 
coming 
of  Jeth- 
ro and 
his 

meeting 

with 

Mosea 


197 


Ex.  183]  AT  SINAI-HOREB 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

been  a resident  alien  in  a foreign  land;  4and  the  name  of  the  other  was 
Eliezer  [My  God  is  an  help] ; for  he  said.  The  God  of  my  father  was  my  help, 
and  delivered  me  from  the  sword  of  Pharaoh;  5and  Jethro,  Moses’  father- 
in-law,  came  with  his  sons  and  his  wife  to  Moses  in  the  wilderness  where  he 
was  encamped,  at  the  mountain  of  God.  6And  he  said  to  Moses,  I thy 
father-in-law  Jethro  am  coming  to  you  with  your  wife,  and  her  two  sons  with 
her.  7And  Moses  went  out  to  meet  his  father-in-law,  and  bowed  before  him, 
and  kissed  him;  and  when  they  had  asked  regarding  each  other’s  welfare, 
they  came  into  the  tent.  8Then  Moses  told  his  father-in-law  all  that  Jehovah 
had  done  to  Pharaoh  and  the  Egyptians  for  Israel’s  sake,  all  the  hardship 
they  had  encountered  on  the  march,  and  how  Jehovah  had  delivered  them. 

9Then  Jethro  rejoiced  because  of  all  the  goodness  which  Jehovah  had 
done  to  Israel,  in  that  he  had  delivered  them  from  the  power  of  the 
Egyptians.  10 And  Jethro  said, 


His 

song  of 
thanks- 
giving 
and  sac- 
rificial 
offering 


Blessed  be  Jehovah 

Who  hath  delivered  them  from  the  power  of  Pharaoh  ; 

Who  hath  delivered  the  people  from  under  the  power  of  the  Egyptians.5 
nNow  I am  persuaded  that  Jehovah  is  greater  than  all  gods. 

For  in  that,  wherein  they  acted  so  arrogantly  toward  them,  hath  he  thrown  them 
into  confusion .k 


12Moreover  Jethro,  Moses’  father-in-law,  took  a burnt -offering  and  sacrifices 
for  God,  and  Aaron  came  with  all  the  elders  of  Israel  to  eat  bread  with  Moses’ 
father-in-law  before  God. 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Moses’s  Num.  10  29Then  Moses  said  to  Hobab,  the  son  of  Reuel  the  Midianite, 
that She  Moses’  father-in-law,  We  are  journeying  to  the  place  of  which  Jehovah  said, 
fhem  'I  will  give  it  to  you.’  Come  with  us,  and  let  us  do  well  by  you,  for  Jehovah 
the°w§h  has  promised  Israel  prosperity.  30But  he  said  to  him,  I will  not  go,  but  I will 
demess  depart  to  mine  own  land  and  kindred.  31Then  he  said,  Do  not  leave  us,  I 
pray  you.  Inasmuch  as  you  know  where  we  should  encamp  in  the  wilderness, 
you  will  be  to  us  as  eyes.  32 And  it  shall  be  that,  if  you  go  with  us,  and 
the  prosperity  comes,  which  Jehovah  will  give  us,  we  will  do  well  by  you. 


■ 18lu  Analogies  lead  us  to  anticipate  that  the  words  of  Jethro  were  originally  poetical  in 
form.  The  parallelism  can  still  be  distinguished,  even  though  the  passage  has  suffered  severely 
in  transmission.  The  corruption  of  the  text  evidently  antedated  the  Gk.  translation,  for  10b  is 
omitted,  probably  because  the  translators  wished  to  avoid  the  obvious  tautology.  As  the  Heb. 
text  now  reads,  the  phrase  delivered  out  of  the  power  of  the  Egyptians  occurs  both  in  108  and  in 
10tl.  Such  tautology  is  unprecedented.  The  second  appears  to  be  original  and  the  first  due  to 
the  mistake  of  a copyist.  This  order  is  also  confirmed  by  s,  where  Pharaoh  precedes  the  men- 
tion of  the  Egyptians. 

k 18ub.  This  verse  has  suffered  so  much  that  its  meaning  can  only  be  conjecturally  restored. 
1424b,  which  is  from  the  same  source,  furnishes  the  most  plausible  suggestion,  and  has  been 
followed. 


198 


Ex.  1813] 


JUDICIAL  ORGANIZATION 


[Dt.  19 


81.  Judicial  Organization,  Ex.  1813-27,  Dt.  I9-18 


Early  Ephraimite 

Ex.  18  13Now  on  the  next  day  Moses  sat 
as  judge  to  decide  cases  for  the  people,  and 
the  people  stood  about  Moses  from  morning 
until  evening.  14But  when  Moses’  father- 
in-law  saw  all  that  he  was  doing  for  the 
people,  he  said,  What  is  this  thing  that  you 
are  doing  for  the  people  ? why  are  you  sitting 
all  alone  while  all  the  people  stand  about 
you  from  morning  until  evening?  15And 
Moses  answered  his  father-in-law,  Because 
the  people  keep  coming  to  me  to  inquire  of 
God.  16Whenever  they  have  a matter  of 
dispute,  they  come  to  me,  that  I may  decide 
which  of  the  two  is  right,  and  make  known 
the  statutes  of  God,  and  his  decisions. 

17Then  Moses’  father-in-law  said  to  him, 
This  thing  which  you  are  doing  is  not  good. 
18Both  you  and  these  people  who  are  about 
you  will  surely  wear  yourselves  out,  for  the 
task  is  too  heavy  for  you;  you  are  not  able 
to  perform  it  by  yourself  alone.  19Now 
hearken  to  me,  I will  give  you  good  counsel, 
so  that  God  will  be  with  you:  You  be  the 
people’s  advocate  with  God,  and  bring  the 
cases  to  God,  20and  you  make  known  to 
them  the  statutes  and  the  decisions,  and 
show  them  the  way  wherein  they  must  walk, 
and  the  work  that  they  must  do.  ^More- 
over you  must  provide  out  of  all  the  people 
able,  God-fearing,  reliable  men,  hating  un- 
just gain;  and  place  such  over  them  to  be 
rulers  of  thousands,  rulers  of  hundreds, 
rulers  of  fifties,  and  rulers  of  tens;  22and  let 
them  judge  the  people  at  all  times.  Only 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Dt.  1 9 And  I said  to  you  at  Moses's 
that  time,  ‘I  am  not  able  to  bear  wdfeim- 
you  myself  alone;  10Jehovah  sponS- 
your  God  hath  made  you  judge”3 
numerous  and,  behold,  you 
are  to-day  as  the  stars  of 
heaven  in  number.  11  May  Je- 
hovah, the  God  of  your  fathers, 
add  to  you  the  like  of  you  a 
thousand  times,  and  bless  you 
as  he  hath  promised  you! 

12How  can  I bear  alone  your 
weight,  your  burden  and  your 
quarrels. 

13Take  for  your  tribes  men  Appoint- 
who  are  wise,  intelligent,  and  tribal 
known  that  I may  make  them  jodecfde 
officers  over  you.’  14 And  you  ™sesr 
answered  me,  ‘The  thing 
which  you  proposed  to  do  is 
good.’  15So  I took  the  heads  of 
your  tribes,  men  of  wisdom 
and  reputation,  and  made 
them  officers  over  you,  cap- 
tains of  thousands  and  cap- 
tains of  hundreds,  and  cap- 
tains of  fifties,  and  captains  of 
tens,  and  officers  according  to 
your  tribes.  16And  I charged 
your  judges  at  that  time  saying, 

‘Hear  the  disputes  between 
your  tribesmen,  and  judge 
righteously  between  a man  and 


§ 81  The  reasons  for  the  classification  of  Ex.  1813-27  have  already  been  indicated  in  the 
preceding  sections.  The  tradition  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  Pentateuch.  It  is  also 
one  of  the  most  important,  for  it  reveals  the  genesis  of  Heb.  as  well  as  of  all  primitive  laws  and 
judicial  institutions.  As  questions  of  dispute  were  raised,  they  were  referred  to  the  recognized 
leader  of  the  tribe  or  confederated  tribes  and  his  decisions  constituted  precedents,  which  gradu- 
ally determined  customary  usage.  Custom  then  became  law.  The  latest  stage  was  its  formu- 
lation in  written  form . Cf.  Frontispiece  and  vol.  IV.,  Introd. 

The  story  also  suggests  Moses's  relation  to  Israel’s  laws  and  institutions.  The  precedents 
which  he,  as  tribal  judge,  established  and  the  principles  which  he  thus  laTd  down,  became  the 
foundations  of  all  later  Israelitish  legislation.  It  was,  therefore,  not  without  a genuine  basis 
of  historic  fact  that  later  generations  associated  all  laws  with  his  name. 

The  late  prophetic  tradition,  following  that  tendency  of  exilic  and  post-exilic  Judaism  which 
attributed  all  legal  institutions  to  Moses,  represents  him  as  taking  the  initiative  and  says  noth- 
ing of  Jethro. 


199 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


Com- 
mand to 
select 
.seventy 
elders 


Con- 
ferring 
of  the 
prophet- 
ic gift 
upon 
them 


Prophe- 
sying of 
Eld  ad 
and  Me- 
dad 


Ex.  1822] 


[Dt.  I16 


Early  Ephraimite 

every  great  matter  let  them  bring  to  you ; but 
every  small  matter  let  them  decide  them- 
selves; so  it  will  be  easier  for  you,  and  they 
will  bear  the  burden  with  you.  23If  you  do 
this  thing — and  God  so  commands  you — 
then  you  will  be  able  to  endure,  and  all  these 
people  also  will  go  back  to  their  places 
satisfied.  24So  Moses  hearkened  to  the  ad- 
vice of  his  father-in-law,  and  did  all  that  he 
had  said.  25And  Moses  chose  able  men  out 
of  all  Israel,  and  made  them  heads  over  the 
people,  rulers  of  thousands,  rulers  of  hun- 
dreds, rulers  of  fifties  and  rulers  of  tens. 
26And  they  judged  the  people  at  all  times; 
the  difficult  cases  they  brought  to  Moses,  but 
every  small  matter  they  decided  themselves. 
27Then  Moses  let  his  father-in-law  depart, 
and  he  went  his  way  to  his  own  land. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

his  brother,  and  the  alien  who 
resides  with  him.  17You  shall 
be  impartial1  in  judgment; 
you  shall  hear  the  small  and 
the  great  alike;  you  shall  not 
be  afraid  of  the  face  of  man; 
for  the  judgment  is  God’s. 
But  the  case  that  is  too  diffi- 
cult for  you,  bring  to  me,  and 
I will  hear  it.’  18Thus  I com- 
manded you  at  that  time  all 
the  things  which  you  should 
do. 


§ 82.  Appointment  of  the  Seventy  Prophetic  Elders,  Num.  It1®’  n>  5tt>-30 

Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Num.  11  16Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Summon  to  me  seventy  men  from 
the  elders  of  Israel,  whom  thou  knowest  to  be  the  elders  of  the  people,  and 
officers  over  them,  and  bring  them  to  the  tent  of  meeting,  that  they  may  stand 
there  with  thee.  17And  I will  come  down  and  speak  with  thee  there;  and  I 
will  take  of  the  spirit  which  is  upon  thee,  and  put  it  upon  them;  and  they 
shall  bear  the  burden  of  the  people  with  thee,  that  thou  bear  it  not  alone. 
24bSo  he  summoned  seventy  of  the  elders  of  the  people  and  caused  them  to 
stand  around  about  the  tent.  25 And  Jehovah  came  down  in  the  cloud,  and 
spoke  to  him,  and  took  of  the  spirit  which  was  upon  him,  and  put  it  upon 
the  seventy  elders.  And  when  the  spirit  rested  upon  them,  they  prophesied, 
but  they  never  did  so  again. 

26But  there  remained  two  men  in  the  camp,  the  name  of  one  was  Eldad,  and 
the  name  of  the  other  Medad,  and  the  spirit  rested  upon  them.  Now  they 
were  of  those  who  had  been  registered111  but  had  not  gone  out  to  the  tent; 
and  they  prophesied  in  the  camp.  27Then  a young  man  ran  and  told  Moses, 
saying,  Eldad  and  Medad  are  prophesying  in  the  camp.  28And  Joshua  the 


1 Dt.  l17.Heb.,  not  respect  faces. 

§ 83  This  narrative  is  in  no  way  connected  with  its  context,  which  tells  of  the  gift  of  quails, 
His-24a,  31-35.  The  reference  to  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  the  minister  of  Moses  in  2S,  the  emphasis 
laid  upon  prophecy,  and  the  prominence  of  the  tent  of  meeting  indicate  that  it  belongs  to  the 
Ephraimite  group.  Its  relationship  is  especially  close  with  Ex.  337'11,  § 80,  and  1813-27.  It 
cannot  precede,  but  naturally  follows  Ex.  18.  Num.  ll17b  is  an  echo  of  Ex.  1822.  While  it  is 
not  impossible  that  both  come  from  the  same  age  and  hand,  yet  it  does  not  seem  probable.  Ex. 
18  contains  the  simpler  and  more  primitive  tradition;  Num.  11  the  product  of  more  advanced 
reflection  and  a more  developed  conception  of  the  prophetic  gift.  Its  loose  connection  with  its 
context  strengthens  the  conviction  that  it  is  one  of  the  many  valuable  contributions  which  the 
later  Ephraimite  school  made  to  the  older  traditions. 

m ll26  Heb.,  written. 


200 


THE  SEVENTY  PROPHETIC  ELDERS  [Num.  II28 
Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

son  of  Nun,  who  had  from  his  youth"  been  the  servant  of  Moses,  answered 
saying,  My  lord,  Moses,  forbid  them.  29But  Moses  said  to  him,  Are  you 
jealous  for  my  sake?  would  that  all  Jehovah's  people  were  prophets,  that 
Jehovah  would  put  his  spirit  upon  them!  30Thereupon  Moses,  with  the 
elders  of  Israel,  went  back  into  the  camp. 

§ 83.  Divine  Confirmation  of  Moses’s  Authority,  Num.  121*15 
Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Num.  12  JThen  Miriam  and  Aaron  spoke  against  Moses,  because  of  the  Cush- 
ite woman  whom  he  had  married  ; for  he  had  married  a Cushite  woman.  2And  they  said, 
Hath  Jehovah  indeed  spoken  only  through  Moses  ? hath  he  not  spoken  also 
through  us?  And  Jehovah  heard.  3Now  the  man  Moses  was  very  humble, 
more  than  all  the  men  who  were  on  the  earth. 

4But  Jehovah  suddenly  said  to  Moses,  and  to  Aaron,  and  Miriam,  Come 
out  ye  three  to  the  tent  of  meeting.  So  they  three  went  out.  5Then  Jehovah 
came  down  in  a pillar  of  cloud,  and  stood  at  the  door  of  the  tent,  and  called 
Aaron  and  Miriam,  and  they  both  came  forth.  GAnd  he  said. 

Hear  now  my  words  ! 

If  there  be  a prophet  among  you,0 

In  a vision  do  I make  myself  known  to  him. 

In  a dream  do  I speak  to  him. 

’Not  so  with  my  servant  Moses  ; 

In  all  my  house  he  is  faithful. p 
8Mouth  to  mouth  do  I speak  with  him, 

Plainly  and  not  in  enigmas, 

And  the  form  of  Jehovah  doth  he  behold. 

Why  then  do  ye  not  fear. 

To  speak  against  my  servant  Moses  ? 


b 1128  Or,  one  of  his  young  men. 

§ 83  In  language  and  representation  this  section  is  very  closely  connected  with  the  pre- 
ceding and  with  Ex.  337-11.  The  tent  of  meeting  and  the  pillar  of  cloud  are  prominent.  The 
sanctuary  is  outside  the  camp.  The  mention  of  Miriam  and  the  linguistic  peculiarities  com- 
plete the  proof  that  it  is  also  from  the  Ephraimite  narratives.  It  may  embody  an  older  tradition, 
especially  in  9_l5,  but  as  a whole  it  appears  to  be  from  a later  prophet  who  aimed  thus  to  establish 
the  pre-eminent  prophetic  authority  of  Moses.  It  is  indeed  an  expansion  of  Ex.  33u.  Vs.  5 
suggests  that  the  Israelites  were  either  on  the  march  or  about  to  set  out  from  Sinai.  The  story 
is  not  in  place  as  it  stands,  immediately  after  the  signal  act  of  divine  judgment  recorded  in  ll33. 
It  does,  however,  follow  naturally  after  the  account  of  the  seventy  prophetic  elders  and  there- 
fore may  be  classified  with  the  Sinai-Horeb  group  of  traditions. 

Vs.  1 not  only  presents  certain  difficulties,  but  is  also  very  loosely  connected  with  the  subse- 
quent context.  Nothing  more  is  said  about  Moses’s  marriage  with  a Cushite.  The  motive  of 
the  complaint  in  2 is  the  jealousy  which  Aaron  and  Miriam  feel  toward  Moses’s  greater  authority. 
Only  in  1 is  Miriam  mentioned  first.  The  fact  that  the  verb  is  in  the  feminine  singular  strongly 
suggests  that  this  verse  reflects  a tradition  in  which  she  alone  was  the  offender.  The  fact  that 
she  only  is  punished  in  9-15  suggests  that  these  verses  are  a part  of  the  same  story. 

Not  until  the  days  of  Nehemiah  and  Ezra  were  foreign  marriages  viewed  askance.  It  would 
seem  clear  therefore  that  the  allusion  to  Moses’s  marriage  with  a Cushite  was  introduced  by  a 
later  editor,  who  lived  in  the  age  when  the  question  involved  was  being  hotly  debated.  Possibly 
the  original  tradition  was  circulated  by  those  who  wished  to  support  their  broader  position  by 
the  example  of  Moses..  If  so,  Cushite , as  usually  in  the  O.T.,  probably  means  Ethiopian.  The 
context  also  seems  to  imply  that  the  marriage  had  only  recently  been  contracted.  The  other 
explanation  is  that  Cush  is  here  the  designation  of  a north  Arabian  tribe  and  that  the  present 
story  is  a variant  of  the  traditions  which  make  Moses’s  wife  a Kenite,  Judg.  I16,  411,  or  a Midian- 
ite,  Ex.  215-21, .si,  Num.  1029. 

° 121-3  This  speech  of  Jehovah  has  the  parallelism,  rhythm  and  expressions  characteristic  of 
Heb.  poetry.  It  may,  like  corresponding  oracular  utterances,  represent  an  older  poetic  source 
which  is  the  basis  of  the  present  story. 

p 127  Or,  with  the  care  of  all  my  house  is  he  intrusted. 

201 


Jealousy 
of  Miri- 
am and 
Aaron 


Jeho- 
vah’s 
vindica- 
tion of 
Moses 


AT  SINAI-IIOREB 


Num.  129] 

Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

pufiish1'8  9 l hen  the  anger  of  Jehovah  was  roused  against  them.  And  he  departed, 
ment  10And  when  the  cloud  removed  from  the  tent,  behold,  Miriam  was  leprous, 
as  white  as  snow:  and  as  Aaron  looked  at  Miriam,  he  saw  that  she  was  leprous. 
uThen  Aaron  said  to  Moses,  Oh,  my  lord,  do  not  lay  upon  us  the  punishment 
of  the  sin  and  folly  that  we  have  committed.  12Do  not  let  her,  I pray,  be  as 
one  dead,  whose  flesh  is  half  consumed  when  he  comes  out  of  his  mother’s 
womb.  13And  Moses  cried  to  Jehovah,  saying,  Nay,  heal  her  now,  I pray.q 
14But  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  If  her  father  had  but  spit  in  her  face,  should 
she  not  be  ashamed  seven  days?  let  her  be  shut  up  outside  the  camp  seven 
days,  and  after  that  she  may  be  brought  in  again.  15So  Miriam  was  shut 
up  outside  the  camp  for  seven  days,  and  the  people  did  not  depart  until 
Miriam  was  brought  in  again. 

§ 81.  Census  of  the  Israelites,  Num.  11_49>  54 , 30-22,27,28,33,34,39 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Appoint-  Num.  1 1 Now  Jehovah  spoke  to  Moses  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  in  the 
twelve  tent  of  meeting,  on  the  first  day  of  the  second  month,  in  the  second  year  after 
assist0  they  had  come  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  saying,  2Take  the  census  of  all 
taking111  the  congregation  of  the  Israelites,  by  their  families,  by  their  fathers’ 
thecen-  }louseS)  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  all  the  males,  by  their  heads;1 
3from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  in  Israel  who  are  able  to  go  forth  to 
war,  thou  and  Aaron  shall  number  them  by  their  hosts.  4And  with  you  there 
shall  be  one  man  from  each  tribe,  each  one  head  of  his  father’s  house. 
5 And  these  are  the  names  of  the  men  who  shall  stand  with  you.  From  Reu- 
ben, Elizur  the  son  of  Shedeur.  6From  Simeon,  Shelumiel  the  son  of  Zuri- 
sliaddai.  7From  Judah,  Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab.  8From  Issachar, 
Nethanel  the  son  of  Zuar.  9From  Zebulun,  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon.  10From 
the  children  of  Joseph,  from  Ephraim,  Elishama  the  son  of  Ammihud. 
From  Manasseh,  Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahzur.  11From  Benjamin,  Abidan 
the  son  of  Gideoni.  12From  Dan,  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai.  13From 
Asher,  Pagiel  the  son  of  Ochran.  14From  Gad,  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Deuel. 
15From  Naplitali,  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan.  16These  are  the  ones  who  were 
selected  from  the  congregation,  the  princes  of  the  tribes  of  their  fathers;  they 
were  the  chiefs  of  the  thousands  of  Israel.  17Then  Moses  and  Aaron  took  these 
men,  who  were  mentioned  by  name,  18and  assembled  all  the  congregation  on  the  first 
day  of  the  second  month  : and  they  registered3  according  to  their  families,  by  their  fathers’ 

9 1213  Heb.,  0 God , heal  her,  I -pray,  but  the  construction  is  without  parallel.  A slight 

emendation  gives  the  reading  above. 

§ 84  Num.  li — lO93,  like  the  last  six  chapters  of  Ex.,  are  from  the  late  priestly  writers.  The 

precise  formulas,  the  stereotyped  language,  the  interest  in  petty  details,  the  almost  endless  repe- 
titions, and  the  portrayal  of  the  march  through  the  wilderness  as  a solemn  religious  procession, 

all  suggest  the  leisure  of  the  exile  and  reflect  the  strong  ritualistic  tendencies  of  Judaism.  _ It 
was  thus  that  the  later  priests  projected  the  institutions  and  ideals  of  their  own  age  back  into 

the  days  of  Moses.  For  a striking  parallel,  cf.  the  books  of  Chrs.  with  their  older  parallels,  the 
book  of  Kgs.,  vol.  II. 

There  is  evidence,  however,  that  1-3  are  not  all  from  the  same  hand.  The  order  of  the 

tribes  in  l5-15  is  very  similar  to  that  in  Ex.  I2-4;  but  in  120-42  anci  again  in  2 the  order  of  the  tribes 
and  the  names  are  slightly  different.  These  variations  appear  to  be  the  result  of  later  expan- 
sions of  the  original  priestly  tradition.  Aaron  is  probably  also  a later  addition. 

r l2'  4 Lit.,  skull. 

‘ l18  Or,  declared  their  pedigrees. 


202 


CENSUS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES 


[Num.  I18 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

houses,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  by  their 
heads.  19As  Jehovah  commanded  Moses,  so  he  numbered  them  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai. 
20 And  the  children  of  Reuben,  Israel’s  first-born,  their  generations,  by  their  families,  by 
their  fathers’  houses,  according  to  the  number  of  the  names,  by  their  heads,  every  male 
from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  all  who  went  forth  as  warriors,  21those  that  were  num- 
bered from  them,  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  were  forty-six  thousand  five  hundred.  230f  the 
tribe  of  Simeon  fifty-nine  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty.  250f  the  tribe  of  Gad  forty- 
five  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty.  270f  the  tribe  of  Judah  seventy-four  thousand  six 
hundred.  290f  the  tribe  of  Issachar  fifty-four  thousand  four  hundred.  31Of  the  tribe  of 
Zebulun  fifty-seven  thousand  four  hundred.  33OE  the  tribe  of  Ephraim  forty  thousand  five 
hundred.  350f  the  tribe  of  Manasseh  thirty-two  thousand  two  hundred.  370f  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin  thirty-five  thousand  four  hundred.  390f  the  tribe  of  Dan  sixty-two  thou- 
sand seven  hundred.  41  Of  the  tribe  of  Asher  forty-one  thousand  five  hundred.  430f  the 
tribe  of  Naphtali  fifty-three  thousand  four  hundred.1 

45So  all  who  were  numbered  of  the  Israelites  by  their  fathers’  houses,  from  twenty  years 
old  and  upward,  all  in  Israel  who  were  able  to  go  forth  to  war,  46even  all  who  were  num- 
bered were  six  hundred  and  three  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty. 

47But  the  Levites  according  to  the  tribe  of  their  fathers  were  not  numbered  among  them. 
48For  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  49Only  the  tribe  of  Levi  thou  shalt  not  number,  neither  slialt 
thou  take  a census  of  them  among  the  Israelites.  34Thus  the  Israelites  did  accord- 
ing to  all  that  Jehovah  commanded  Moses,  thus  they  did. 

3 14Jehovah  also  commanded  Moses  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  15Number 
the  children  of  Levi  by  their  fathers’  houses,  by  their  families;  every  male 
from  a month  old  and  upward  shalt  thou  number  them.  16So  Moses  num- 
bered them  according  to  the  word  of  Jehovah,  as  he  was  commanded. 
17And  these  were  the  sons  of  Levi  by  their  names:  Gershon,  Kohath,  and 
Merari.  18And  these  are  the  names  of  the  sons  of  Gershon  by  their  families: 
Libni,  and  Shimei.  19  And  the  sons  of  Kohath  by  their  families : Amram,  Izhar, 
Hebron,  and  Uzziel.  20And  the  sons  of  Merari  by  their  families:  Mahli  and 
Mushi.  These  are  the  families  of  the  Levites  according  to  their  fathers’  houses. 

21Of  Gershon  was  the  family  of  the  Libnites,  and  the  family  of  the  Shime- 
ites;  these  are  the  families  of  the  Gershonites.  22Those  who  were  numbered 
of  them,  according  to  the  number  of  all  the  males,  from  a month  old  and  up- 
ward, even  those  who  were  numbered  of  them  were  seven  thousand  five 
hundred. 

27 And  of  Kohath  was  the  family  of  the  Amramites,  the  family  of  the  Izhar- 
ites,  the  family  of  the  Hebronites,  and  the  family  of  the  Uzzielites:  these  are 
the  families  of  the  Kohathites.  28 According  to  the  number  of  all  the  males, 
from  a month  old  and  upward,  there  were  eight  thousand  six  hundred  who 
were  charged  with  the  care  of  the  sanctuary. 

33Of  Merari  was  the  family  of  the  Mahlites,  and  the  family  of  the  Mushites; 
these  are  the  families  of  Merari.  34And  those  who  were  numbered  of  them, 
according  to  the  number  of  all  the  males,  from  a month  old  and  upward, 
were  six  thousand  two  hundred.  39 All  who  were  numbered  of  the  Levites, 
whom  Moses  and  Aaron  numbered  at  the  command  of  Jehovah,  by  their 
families,  all  the  males,  from  a month  old  and  upward,  were  twenty-two 
thousand. 


t 122-43  in  these  verses  the  same  formula,  found  in  20-  21,  is  repeated  as  a setting  for  the  totals 
of  those  eligible  for  military  service  in  each  tribe.  In  the  above  translation  it  has  been  omitted 
after  its  first  introduction.  The  numbers  reveal  the  characteristic  priestly  interest  in  statistics 
and  the  tendency  of  late  tradition  to  enlarge  as  well  as  to  embellish  the  meagre  facts  handed 
down  from  the  remote  past. 


Num- 
bers in 
each  of 
the 
tribes 


The 

total 


Levites 
not  in- 
cluded 


Special 
census 
of  the 
Levites 


203 


Num.  21] 


AT  SINAI-HOREB 


Tribes 
on  the 
east  of 
the  tent 
of  meet- 
ing 


On  the 
south 


§ 85.  Arrangement  of  the  Camp,  Num.  2,  3M-J4' s9-32’  S5-M 

Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Num.  2 1And  Jehovah  commanded  Moses  and  Aaron  saying,  2The  Israel- 
ites shall  encamp  each  man  by  his  own  standard,11  with  the  ensigns  of  their 
fathers’  houses.  Opposite  the  tent  of  meeting  they  shall  encamp  and  about  it. 
3And  those  who  encamp  on  the  east  side  towards  the  sunrising  shall  be  they 
of  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Judah,  according  to  their  hosts.  And  the 
prince  of  the  children  of  Judah  shall  be  Nahshon  the  son  of  Amminadab. 
4And  his  host,  and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them,  were  seventy-four 
thousand  six  hundred.  5And  those  who  encamp  next  to  him  shall  be  the 
tribe  of  Issaehar.  And  the  prince  of  the  Issacharites  shall  be  Nethanel  the 
son  of  Zuar.  6And  his  host  and  those  who  were  numbered  in  it  were  fifty-four 
thousand  four  hundred.  7The  tribe  of  Zebulun.v  And  the  prince  of  the 
Zebulunites  shall  be  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon.  8And  his  host,  and  those  who 
were  numbered  in  it  were  fifty-seven  thousand  four  hundred.  9A11  who 
were  numbered  of  the  camp  of  Judah  were  a hundred  and  eighty-six  thousand 
four  hundred,  according  to  their  hosts.  They  shall  set  out  first  on  the  march. 

luGn  the  south  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Reuben  according 
to  their  hosts.  And  the  prince  of  the  Reubenites  shall  be  Elizur  the  son  of 
Shedeur.  uAnd  his  host,  and  those  who  were  numbered  in  it,  were  forty- 
six  thousand  five  hundred.  12And  those  who  encamp  next  to  him  shall  be 
the  tribe  of  Simeon.  And  the  prince  of  the  Simeonites  shall  be  Shelumiel  the 
son  of  Zurishaddai.  13 And  his  host  and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them 
were  fifty-nine  thousand  three  hundred.  14Then  the  tribe  of  Gad.  And  the 
prince  of  the  Gadites  shall  be  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Reuel.  15And  his  host 
and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them,  were  forty-five  thousand  six  hundred 


§ 85  The  original  priestly  narratives  probably  contained  an  account  of  the  arrangement  of 
the  camp  which  is  embodied  in  this  section.  It  contains,  however,  in  addition  so  much  material 
that  interrupts  the  sequence  of  the  narrative  and  is  simply  a repetition  of  chap.  1,  that  in  its  pres- 
ent form  it  is  clearly  from  a later  hand.  Thus  24'  6>  8. m 13,  etc.,  repeat  l17-43  and  23>  6b-  An  10b. 
etc.,  l5->5. 

Unlike  the  Ephraimite,  who  placed  the  sacred  tent  outside  (he  camp.  Ex.  337-u,  § 79,  the 
priestly  writers  located  it  in  the  centre,  with  the  tribes  about  on  every  side.  The  priests  stand 
at  the  entrance  at  the  east,  the  Levitical  clans  on  the  other  two  sides,  and  the  remaining  tribes 
complete  the  outer  square.  The  leading  tribes  guard  the  centre  on  each  side.  The  underlying 
idea  is  evidently  that  developed  by  Ezekiel  in  his  ideal  plan  of  the  temple,  Ezek.  40-48.  It  is 
to  guard  the  sanctity  of  the  dwelling  and  thus  symbolize  the  holiness  of  the  God  who  dwells 
therein.  The  details  of  the  plan  may  be  illustrated  by  the  following  diagram. 

a NORTH  _ _ 

S Asher  Dan  Naphtali  g> 

Merarites 


cj  Kohathites 

§ Gad  Reuben  Simeon  § 

§ SOUTH 

u 2!  The  meaning  of  this  word  is  doubtful.  _ It  may  signify  a company , cf. 1 
v 27  This  disconnected  clause  was  evidently  intended  to  be  the  sequel  of  l*. 

20J 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  THE  CAMP 


[Num.  215 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

and  fifty.  16A11  who  were  numbered  of  the  camp  of  Reuben  were  a hundred 
and  fifty-one  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty,  according  to  their  hosts. 

And  they  shall  set  out  second  on  the  march. 

17Then  the  tent  of  meeting,  the  camp  of  the  Levites,w  shall  set  forth,  in  the  Method 
midst  of  the  camps:  as  they  encamp,  so  shall  they  set  forth,  each  man  in  his 
place  by  their  standards. 

18On  the  west  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Ephraim  according  onthe 
to  their  hosts.  And  the  prince  of  the  Ephraimites  shall  be  Elishama  the  weat 
son  of  Ammihud.  19 And  his  host,  and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them, 
were  forty  thousand  five  hundred.  20 And  next  to  him  shall  be  the  tribe  of 
Manasseh.  And  the  prince  of  the  Manassites  shall  be  Gamaliel  the  son  of 
Pedahzur.  21  And  his  host,  and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them,  were 
thirty-two  thousand  two  hundred.  22Then  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  And  the 
prince  of  the  Benjaminites  shall  be  Abidan  the  son  of  Gideoni.  23 And  his  host, 
and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them,  were  thirty-five  thousand  four  hun- 
dred. 24A11  who  were  numbered  of  the  camp  of  Ephraim  were  a hundred 
and  eight  thousand  one  hundred,  according  to  their  hosts.  And  they  shall 
set  out  third  on  the  march. 

25On  the  north  side  shall  be  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  Dan  according  to  On  the 
their  hosts.  And  the  prince  of  the  Danites  shall  be  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Am-  ° 
mishaddai.  26And  his  host,  and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them,  were 
sixty-two  thousand  seven  hundred.  27And  those  who  encamp  next  to  him 
shall  be  the  tribe  of  Asher:  and  the  prince  of  the  Asherites  shall  be  Pagiel 
the  son  of  Ocliran.  28And  his  host,  and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them, 
were  forty-one  thousand  five  hundred.  29Then  the  tribe  of  Naphtali.  And 
the  prince  of  the  Naphtalites  shall  be  Ahira  the  son  of  Enan.  30And  his 
host,  and  those  who  were  numbered  of  them,  were  fifty-three  thousand  four 
hundred.  31  All  who  were  numbered  of  the  camp  of  Dan  were  a hundred 
and  fifty-seven  thousand  six  hundred.  They  shall  march  at  the  rear  by  their 
standards. 

3 23The  families  of  the  Gershonites  shall  encamp  behind  the  dwelling  Duties 
on  the  west.  24And  the  prince  of  the  fathers’  house  of  the  Gershonites  shall  Leviticai 
be  Eliasaph  the  son  of  Lael.  25 And  the  charge  of  the  sons  of  Gershon  in  Qer-8' 
the  tent  of  meeting  shall  be  the  dwelling,  the  tent,  its  covering,  the  screen  for  shomtea 
the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  26the  hangings  of  the  court,  and  the  screen  for 
the  door  of  the  court  which  is  by  the  dwelling,  and  by  the  altar  round  about, 
and  its  cords  for  all  its  service. 

29The  families  of  the  sons  of  Kohath  shall  encamp  on  the  side  of  the  Kohaiii 
dwelling  on  the  south.  30And  the  prince  of  the  fathers’  house  of  the  families  ' s 
of  the  Kohathites  shall  be  Elizaphan  the  son  of  Uzziel.  31And  their  charge 
shall  be  the  ark,  the  table,  the  candlestick,  the  altars,  the  vessels  of  the  sanc- 
tuary with  which  they  minister,  the  screen,  and  all  its  service.  32And  Eleazar 
the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest  shall  be  prince  of  the  princes  of  the  Levites, 
having  the  oversight  of  those  who  have  charge  of  the  sanctuary. 


w 217  The  Heb.  construction  is  exceedingly  awkward.  Cf.  1017'21. 

205 


Merar- 

itea 


Position 
of  Moses 
and 
Aaron 


Comple- 
tion of 
the  ar- 
range- 
ment of 
the 
camp 


The  plan 
of  march 


Num.  335]  AT  SINAI-HOREB 

Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

35And  the  prince  of  the  fathers’  house  of  the  families  of  Merari  was  Zuriel 
the  son  of  Abihail:  they  shall  encamp  on  the  north  side  of  the  dwelling. 
30 And  the  appointed  charge  of  the  sons  of  Merari  shall  be  the  boards  of  the 
dwelling,  its  bars,  its  pillars,  its  sockets,  and  all  its  instruments,  and  all  its 
service;  37 and  the  pillars  of  the  court  round  about,  with  their  sockets,  their 
pins,  and  their  cords. 

38And  those  who  encamp  before  the  dwelling  on  the  east,  before  the- tent 
of  meeting  toward  the  sunrising,  shall  be  Moses,  and  Aaron  and  his  sons, 
keeping  the  charge  of  the  sanctuary  for  the  charge  of  the  Israelites;  and 
the  stranger  that  cometh  nigh  shall  be  put  to  death. 

2 32These  are  they  who  were  numbered  of  the  Israelites  by  their  fathers’ 
houses:  all  who  were  numbered  of  the  camps  according  to  their  hosts  were 
six  hundred  and  three  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty.  33But  the  Levites 
were  not  numbered  among  the  Israelites,  as  Jehovah  commanded  Moses. 
34Thus  did  the  Israelites;  according  to  all  that  Jehovah  commanded  Moses, 
so  they  encamped  by  their  standards,  and  so  they  set  out  on  the  march,  every 
one  by  their  families,  according  to  their  fathers’  houses. 


II 

LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  ABOUT 
KADESH,  Ex.  1525b’  26,  162‘28'  31-36,  17lb'16,  Num.  lO11'28-  33-3b, 

ni-15,  18-24.  31-35’  l216_i87,  201-13,  211'3,  Dt.  I19*40, 
g2-4,  11a,  15,  16’  1X5-7 


§ 86.  Departure  from  Sinai,  Num.  lO11-28- 33_36,  Dt.  I19 


Early  Judean 

Num.  10 

33Then  they 


Late  Prophetic 

Dt.  1 19And 
when  we  jour- 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Num.  10  nAnd  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
second  year,  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the 


Life  of  the  Hebrews  in  the  Wilderness. — According  to  the  traditions,  which  appear  to  go 
back  to  the  early  prophetic  sources,  the  Israelites,  after  leaving  Sinai,  remained  about  forty  years, 
i.  e.,  a generation,  in  the  wilderness  to  the  south  of  Canaan  and  directly  west  of  Edom,  Num.  1011, 
1433,  2023'  24,  33rl.  Most  of  the  events  recorded  belong  at  the  beginning  or  the  close  of  this 
period.  Each  of  the  four  groups  of  narratives  had  its  distinct  version  of  most  of  the  incidents; 
but  the  original  order  of  events  does  not  always  appear  to  have  been  the  same  in  all  the  narra- 
tives. That  of  the  late  priestly  editor,  as  usual,  determined  the  present  arrangement. 

The  two  oldest  prophetic  sources  agree  in  making  Kadesh  the  centre  of  the  life  of  the  Israel- 
ites during  the  period.  This,  for  example,  is  the  scene  of  the  smiting  of  the  rock,  cf.  note  § 88, 
the  point  from  which  the  spies' are  sent  forth,  Num.  1326b,  § 90,  the  place  where  the  people 
remained  and  where  Miriam  died,  Num.  20lb,  and  from  whence  the  people  sent  their  request  to 
the  king  of  Edom,  Num.  2014.  In  Dt.  it  was  the  object  of  their  march  from  Horeb,  l19;  also 
from  there  the  spies  were  despatched,  l20-24;  and  there  the  Israelites  were  condemned  to  wander 
for  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  l34-46. 

Kadesh,  the  name  of  which  (Sacred)  indicates  that  it  was  a holy  shrine  from  the  earliest 
times,  was  conveniently  located  not  far  from  the  sacred  mountain  and  on  the  southern  border 
of  the  promised  land.  It  was  also  provided  with  a remarkable  spring  of  water  and  was  the 
centre  of  a fertile  oasis,  which  not  only  supported  flocks,  but  also  admitted  of  the  cultivation 
of  grain  in  small  quantities.  Near  by  are  two  other  attractive  valleys  and  all  about  is  grazing 
land,  sufficient  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  nomadic  life  which  the  Hebrews  lived. 

§ 86  In  Num.  10u  the  priestly  tradition  regarding  the  movements  of  the  Israelites  reap- 
pears. Vs.  13  seems  to  be  a duplicate  of  12,  and  the  entire  passage  13-28  records  the  execution  of 

206 


Num.  1033,  Dt.  I19]  DEPARTURE  FROM  SINAI  [Num.  1011 


Early  Judean 

journeyed  from 
the  mountain  of 
Jehovah  three 
days  journey;  and 
the  a r k of  the 
covenant  of  Jeho- 
vah went  before 
them  three  days 
journey,  to  seek 
out  a halting 
place  for  them. 

35And  whenever 
the  ark  started, 

Moses  would 
say, 

Arise,  O Jehovah, 

And  let  thine  enemies  be  scattered  ; 

36 And  let  those  who  hate  thee  flee  be- 
fore thee. 

And  when  it  rested,  he  would  say, 

Return,  O Jehovah, 

To  the  ten  thousand  of  thousands*  of 
Israel. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

second  month,  that  the  cloud  was  lifted 
up  from  over  the  dwelling  of  the  testi- 
mony. 12Then  the  Israelites  set  out  on 
their  journeys  from  the  wilderness  of 
Sinai;  and  the  cloud  settled  down  in 
the  wilderness  of  Paran.  13 And  they 
first  set  out  on  their  journey  according  to  the 
commandment  of  Jehovah  through  Moses. 
14And  in  the  van  the  standard  of  the  camp  of 
Judah  set  out  according  to  their  hosts;  and 
over  his  host  was  Nahshon  the  son  of  Ammin- 
adab.  15And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  Is- 
sachar  was  Nethanel  the  son  of  Zuar.  ''’And 
over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  Zebulunites 
was  Eliab  the  son  of  Helon. 

17 And  when  the  dwelling  was  taken  down, 
the  sons  of  Gershon  and  of  Merari,  who  carried 
the  dwelling,  set  forward.  18Then  the  stand- 
ard of  the  camp  of  Reuben  set  out  according 
to  their  hosts  ; and  over  his  host  was  Elizur 
the  son  of  Shedeur.  1!lAnd  over  the  host  of  the 
tribe  of  the  Simeonites  was  Shelumiel  the  son 
of  Zurishaddai.  20 And  over  the  host  of  the 
tribe  of  the  Gadites  was  Eliasaph  the  son  of 
Deuel. 

21fhen  the  Kohathites  departed  carrying 
the  sanctuary ; and  set  up  the  sanctuary  in 
preparation  for  their  coming.  22  And  the  stand- 
ard of  the  camp  of  the  Ephraimites  set  out  ac- 
cording to  their  hosts ; and  over  his  host  was 
Elishama  the  son  of  Ammihud.  23 And  over 
the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  Manassites  was 
Gamaliel  the  son  of  Pedahznr.  24 And  over  the 
host  of  the  tribe  of  the  Benjamites  was  Abida 
the  son  of  Gideoni. 

25And  the  standard  of  the  camp  of  the  Dan- 
ites,  which  was  the  rearward  of  all  the  camps, 
set  out  according  to  their  hosts  ; and  over  his 
host  was  Ahiezer  the  son  of  Ammishaddai. 
26And  over  the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  Asher- 
ites  was  Pagiel  the  son  of  Achran.  27  And  over 
the  host  of  the  tribe  of  the  Naphtalites  was 
Ahirathe  son  of  Enan.  28This  was  the  order 
of  the  march  of  the  Israelites  according  to 
their  hosts  when  they  set  out.  34And  the 
cloud  of  Jehovah  was  over  them  by  day,  when 
they  set  out  from  the  camp. 


Late  Prophetic 

neyed  from  Ho- 
reb,  we  went 
through  all  that 
great  and  ter- 
rible wilderness, 
which  you  saw 
by  the  way  to 
the  hill-country 
of  the  Amorites, 
as  Jehovah  our 
God  command- 
ed us;  and  we 
came  to  Ivadesh- 
barnea. 


the  command  found  in  the  secondary  priestly  section,  Num.  2,  cf.  § 84.  Cloud  of  Jehovah  in  34 
indicates  that  it  is  the  continuation  of  the  priestly  narrative.  Vs.  33  is  the  prophetic  parallel 
to  u'  13.  It  seems  to  be  composite.  Mountain  of  Jehovah , and  three  days  are  marks  of  the 
Ephraimite;  but  the  rest  of  the  verse,  with  the  exception  of  the  editorial  expression,  of  the  cove- 
nant, are  probably  from  the  Judean  narratives.  Cf.  ark  of  Jehovah  and  resting  place , Gen.  4918. 
From  the  same  source  is  the  poetic  fragment,  Num.  1035* 36,  as  is  indicated  by  its  language  and 
the  prominence  of  the  ark.  It  may  well  have  originally  been  taken  from  the  Book  of  the  Wars  of 
Jehovah. 

a Num.  1036  Apparently  used  here  to  designate  divisions  of  the  tribes.  In  I Sam.  10lp» 21  it 
equals  families  or  tribes. 


207 


NUM.  II4’  *] 


LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  [Dt.  82,  Ex.  162 


§ 87.  Provision  of  Manna  and  Quails,  Ex.  15J5b' 26,  162-26’  31-36, 
Num.  II4"15'  18"24a*  31-35  g2-4,  11a,  15,  16 


Com- 
plaints 
of  the 
people 


Early  Judean  Early  Ephraim- 

Num.  ll4Now  'ie 
the  rabble  which  Num. 11  JNow 

was  among  them  the  people  were 
began  to  have  a as  those  w h o 
strong  craving,  complain  of  mis- 
and  even  the  fortune  in  t h e 
children  of  Israel  ears  of  Jehovah; 
began  to  weep  and  when  Jeho- 
again,  and  to  say,  vah  heard  it 
O that  we  had  his  anger  was 
flesh  to  eat:  5 We  aroused,  so  that 

remember  the  fish  the  fire  of  Jeho- 
which  we  used  to  vah  burnt  among 
eat  in  Egypt  with-  them,  and  de- 
out  cost:  the  cu-  voured  a part  of 
cumbers,  and  the  the  camp, 
melons,  the  leeks, 

the  onions  and  the  garlic;  6but  now  we  pine  away;b 
there  is  not  a thing  to  be  seen  except  this  manna. 
(7Now  the  manna  was  like  coriander  seed,  and  its  appearance  like 
the  appearance  of  bdellium.  8The  people  used  to  go  about  and 
gather  it,  and  grind  it  between  the  mill-stones,  or  pound  it  in 
mortars  ; then  they  used  to  boil  it  in  pots  and  make  cakes  of  it ; 
and  its  taste  was  like  the  taste  of  a dainty  prepared  with  oil. 
9And  when  the  dew  came  down  upon  the  camp  in  the  night,  the 
manna  used  to  come  down  with  it).c 


Late  Prophetic 

Dt.  8 2And 
remember  a 1 1 
the  way  which 
Jehovah  thy  God 
hath  led  you 
these  forty  years 
in  the  wilder- 
ness, that  he 
might  humble 
you,  to  test  you, 
to  know  what  was 
in  your  heart, 
whether  you 
would  keep  his 
commandments 
or  not. 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

Ex.  16  2 Now 
the  whole  congre- 
gation of  the  Israel- 
ites murmured 
against  Moses  and 
Aaron  in  the  wil- 
derness, 3and  the 
Israelites  said  to 
them,  Would  that 
we  had  died  by  the 
hand  of  Jehovah 
in  the  land  of 
Egypt,  when  we 
sat  by  the  flesh- 
pots,  while  we  ate 
as  much  food  as 
we  wanted;  for 
you  have  brought 
us  forth  into  this 
wilderness,  to  kill 
this  whole  assem- 
bly with  starva- 
tion. 


§ 87  Dt.  9~  reads,  at  Taberah,  Manasseh  and  Kibroth-hattaavah  you  aroused  Jehovah's 
wrath.  It  is  significant  that  the  only  direct  witness  we  have  to  the  original  relation  to  each 
other  of  the  incidents  connected  with  these  places  associates  them  closely  together.  Num. 
ll1-3  is  a torso  implying  a sequel.  It  is  parallel  to  the  accounts  of  the  murmuring  of  the  people 
in  Num.  ll4  and  Ex.  162.  The  Heb.  word  expressing  the  idea  of  complaint  is  different,  how- 
ever, from  the  peculiar  one  regularly  employed  in  the  Judean  narratives  and  in  their  reflection, 
the  priestly.  This  fact  and  the  idiom  in  Ex.  16-,  the  -people  cried  and  Moses  prayed  to  Jehovah 
(cf.  217  and  Gen.  2017’7),  support  the  inference  that  it  is  a fragment  from  the  Ephraimite  source. 
The  rest  of  the  chapter,  with  the  exception  of  the  account  of  the  appointment  of  the  seventy 
elders,  which  has  been  introduced  into  it,  § 83,  bears  the  unmistakable  marks  of  the  Judean  nar- 
ratives. It  has  been  strongly  urged  that  mn-ia,  is  are  not  in  their  original  setting  and  should  be 
placed  after  Ex.  331'3  (cf.  Bacon,  Triple  Traditions.  139-150,  168),  but  Moses’s  words  are  here 
psychologically  intelligible  in  view  of  his  responsibility  as  leader  and  of  the  unreasonable  de- 
mands of  the  people  for  food.  The  archaeological  note,  7-9,  interprets  the  narratives.  Vss.  l0* 
and  10b  were  also  apparently  transposed,  when  this  note  was  inserted. 

The  close  parallel  to  Num.  II4-15  is  found  in  Ex.  16.  Already  in  note  § 74  the  strong  evi- 
dence that  the  contents  of  Ex.  16,  like  Num.  11,  originally  followed  the  events  at  Sinai 
bas  been  noted.  Cf.  references  to  ark  in  n*  31  and  the  assumption  that  the  law  had  already 
been  given  in  4>  a>  30.  If  further  evidence  is  needed  it  is  found  in  the  Deuteronomic  parallel  in 
Dt..  8 which  places  the  giving  of  the  manna,  where  it  was  logically  to  be  expected,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  forty  years’  residence  in  the  wilderness  and  in  close  conjunction  with  the  drawing  of 
water  from  the  rock,  § 88. 

The  style  and  representation  indicate  at  a glance  that  the  main  narrative  in  Ex.  16  is  the 
late  priestly  account  of  the  giving  of  the  manna  and  quails.  It  is  clearly  based  on  the  Judean  in 
Num.  11.  The  congregation  and  Aaron  and  many  other  characteristic  priestly  ideas  and  ex- 
pressions are  introduced;  but  they  do  not  conceal  the  dependence  which  is  so  close  that,  follow- 


b Num.  ll6  Heb.,  our  soul  is  dried  up. 

c Num.  ll7-9  This  explanatory  note  may  have  been  in  the  original  narrative,  although  10b  ie 
the  natural  sequel  to  6. 


208 


MANNA  AND  QUAILS 


Num.  ll10b-  2] 

Early  Judean 

10bAnd  the  anger 
of  Jehovah  was 
greatly  aroused. 
lOaWhen  therefore 
Moses  heard  the 
people  weeping 
throughout  their 
families,  every 
man  at  the  door 
of  his  tent,  Moses 
was  displeased. 
nAnd  Moses  said 
to  Jehovah,  Why 
hast  thou  dealt  ill 
with  thy  servant  ? 
and  why  have  I 
not  found  favor  in 
thy  sight,  that 
thou  layest  the 
burden  of  all  this 
people  upon  me? 
12Have  I conceiv- 
ed all  this  people  ? 
have  I brought 
them  forth,  that 
thou  shouldest 
say  to  me,  Carry 
them  in  thy 


Ephraimite 

2Then  the 
people  cried  to 
Moses,  and  Mo- 
ses interceded 
with  Jehovah 
and  the  fire  be- 
gan to  go  out. 
3So  the  name  of 
that  place  was 
called  Taberah 
[Burning],  be- 
cause the  fire  of 
Jehovah  burnt 
among  them. 

Exodus  15 
2obThere  he  es- 
tablished a stat- 
ute and  an  ordi- 
nance for  them, 
and  there  he 
tested  them. 
26Then  he  said,  If 
thou  wilt  listen  at- 
tentively to  the 
voice  of  Jehovah 
thy  God,  and  wilt 
do  that  which  is 
right  in  his  eyes, 
and  wilt  give  ear 
to  his  command- 
ments, and  keep  all 


Late  Prophetic 

3 And  he  hum- 
bled you  and 
made  you  hun- 
gry, and  fed  you 
with  manna, 
which  neither 
you  nor  your  fa- 
thers  knew; 
that  he  might 
make  you  to 
know  that  man 
does  not  live  by 
bread  alone;  but 
that  by  every- 
thing that  pro- 
ceeds out  of  the 
mouth  of  Jeho- 
vah doth  man 
live.  4 Y o u r 
clothing  did  not 
grow  old  upon 
you,  neither  did 
your  foot  swell 
these  forty  years. 
llaBe  careful 
not  to  forget  Je- 
hovah you  r G od , 
15who  led  you 


[Dt.  83,  Ex.  IS9 

Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

9Then  Moses  said 
to  Aaron,  Say  to  all 
the  congregation  of 
the  Israelites,  ‘ Pre- 
sent yourselves  be- 
fore Jehovah,  for 
he  hath  heard  your 
murmurings.’ 
10 And  it  came  to 
pass,  as  Aaron 
spoke  to  the  whole 
congregation  o f 
the  Israelites,  that 
they  looked  toward 
the  d w e 1 1 i n g ,d 
and,  behold,  the 
glory  of  Jehovah 
appeared  in  the 
cloud.  nAnd  Je- 
hovah said  to  Mo- 
ses, 12I  have  heard 
the  murmurings  of 
the  Israelites;  say 
to  them,  ‘This 
evening  you  shall 
eat  flesh,  and  in 
the  morning  you 


ing  the  older  original,  even  the  quails  are  abruptly  introduced  in  13,  although  the  narrative  fails 

to  give  any  suggestion  as  to  the  end  which  they  were  intended  to  conserve.  For  some  reason 

6»  7 * * * have  been  placed  before  9-12  with  the  surprising  result  that  Moses  and  Aaron  are  represented 

as  delivering  a message  before  they  have  received  it. 

The  references  to  the  manna  in  Dt.  8,  which  usually  follows  the  Ephraimite  narratives,  lead 

us  to  expect  a third  version.  A casual  reading  of  Ex.  16  discloses  the  presence  of  two  distinct 

accounts  of  the  giving  of  the  manna.  Thus,  for  example,  in  21 *  the  manna  melts  like  hoar-frost, 

but  in  23  the  command  is  given  to  bake  and  boil  it.  Vs. 15  contains  one  tradition  of  the  origin  of 

the  word  manna  (from  Heb.  man  hu,  What  is  it?),  31  is  its  duplicate.  All  doubt  is  removed 

regarding  the  classification  of  the  shorter  version  in  Ex.  16  as  the  Ephraimite,  when  it  is  noted 

that  it  has  the  same  peculiar  idea  of  testing,  4-  14,  as  is  repeatedly  employed  in  Dt.  82-  16.  The 

observation  also  suggests  the  original  connection  of  the  fragment,  Ex.  1525b.  The  peculiar 

expression,  statute  and  ordinance,  may  be  from  the  editor,  but  cf.  Josh.  2425  (Ephraimite).  The 

command,  the  execution  of  which  was  to  constitute  the  test,  is  found  in  164-  6 * *.  1526  was 

evidently  added  by  a late  prophetic  editor  who  recognized  that  1525 * * *  in  its  present  position  was 

incomplete  without  a divine  ordinance. 

The  Ephraimite  parallel  has  obviously  been  abbreviated.  It  lacks  an  introduction  telling 

of  the  complaining  of  the  people.  This  is  found  in  Num.  1 11-3,  which  in  turn  (as  has  already 

been  noted)  is  incomplete  without  the  sequel  contained  in  Ex.  IS2513,  164-  5-  14b-  21. 

As  in  most  of  the  early  Judean  stories,  Jehovah  provides  for  the  needs  of  his  people  by  the 

use  of  natural  means.  The  manna  is  indigenous  to  the  desert  whether  it  be  the  exudations 

from  the  tamarisks  which  grow  there,  or  the  dry  lichens  which  are  still  used  by  the  Arabs  as  a 

substitute  for  corn.  The  quails  are  brought  by  a wind,  Num.  1 131,  even  as  in  the  same  group  of 

narratives  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea  are  driven  back.  It  is  only  in  the  later  versions  of  the 

traditions  that  the  obviously  supernatural  elements  become  prominent. 

d Ex.  16 10 *  Heb.,  wilderness,  but  the  Hebrews  were  already  encamped  in  the  wilderness.  In 

the  priestly  passage  in  Num.  1642,  where  the  same  idiom  occurs,  it  reads  as  above.  Similarity 

in  the  sound  of  the  two  Heb.  words  suggested  to  the  editor  the  harmonistic  change. 

209 


Moses’s 
expostu- 
lation 
and  Je- 
hovah’s 
reply 


Num.  II12,  Ex.  1526]  LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  [Dt.  815,  Ex.  1612 


his  statutes,  I will 
inflict  none  of  the 
diseases  upon  you 
which  I have  in- 
flicted upon  the 
Egyptians ; for  I 
am  Jehovah  who 
healeth  thee. 

1G  4Then  Jeho- 
vah said  to  Mo- 
ses, Behold,  I will 
rain  food  from 
heaven  for  you; 
and  the  people 
shall  go  out  and 
gather 


a 


Early  Judean  Ephraimite 

bosom,  as  a nurs- 
ing-father carries 
the  sucking  child, 
to  the  land  which 
thou  swarest  to 
their  fathers  ? 

13Whence  should 
I have  flesh  to 
give  to  all  this 
people?  for  they 
oppress  me  with 
their  weeping® 
saying,  ‘ Give  us 
flesh  that  we  may 
eat.’  14I  am  not 
able  to  bear  all 
this  people  alone, 
because  it  is  too 
heavy  for  me. 

15And  if  thou 
deal  thus  with  me, 
kill  me,  I pray 
thee,  kill  me,  if  I 
have  found  favor 
in  thy  sight;  and 
let  me  not  see  my 
wretchedness. 

18Then  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses, 

Say  to  the  people, 

‘ Sanctify  your- 
selves for  to-mor- 
row and  you  shall 
eat  flesh,  for  you 
have  wept  loudly  in  the 
hearing  of  Jehovah, say- 
ing, ‘ ‘ O that  we  had  flesh 
to  eat!  for  it  was  well  with 
us  in  Egypt.”  Therefore 
Jehovah  will  give  you 
flesh  that  you  may  eat. 

19Not  one  day  nor  two, 
nor  five,  nor  ten,  nor 
twenty  days  shall  you  eat, 


daily 
portion  each 
day,  that  I may 
test  them  wheth- 
er or  not  they 
will  walk  in  my 
law.  5But  on 
the  sixth  day 
they  shall  pre- 
pare that  which 
they  bring  in, 
and  it  shall  be 
twice  as  much 
as  they  gather 
dai  ly  ,14b  Accord- 
ingly  in  the 
morning  behold 
there  was  a fine 
substance  like 
hoar-  frost  o n 
the  ground. 


Late  Prophetic 

through  the 
great 


and  ter- 
rible wilderness, 
wherein  were 
fiery  serpents 
and  scorpions, 
and  thirsty 
ground,  where 
there  was  no  wa- 
ter; who  brought 
forth  for  you 
water  out  of  the 
flinty  rock; 
16who  fed  you 
in  the  wilder- 
ness with  man- 
na, which  your 
fathers  knew 
not;  that  he 
might  h u mb  1 e 
and  test  you  in 
order  to  do  good 
to  you  in  your 
later  days. 


Late  Priestly  N ar- 
ratives 


shall  be  filled  with 
bread;  and  you 
shall  know  that  T 
am  Jehovah  your 
God.’  6And  Moses 
and  Aaron  said  to 
all  the  Israelites,  At 
evening  you  shall 
know  that  Jehovah 
hath  brought  you 
out  from  the  land  of 
Egypt;  7and  in  the 
morning,  you  shall 
see  the  glory  of  Je- 
hovah, because  he 
heareth  your  mur- 
muring against  Je- 
hovah; and  what 
are  we  that  you 
murmur  against 
US  ? 8And  Moses 
said.  Inasmuch  as  Je- 
hovah will  give  you 
in  the  evening  flesh  to 
eat,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing bread  to  the  full ; 
inasmuch  as  Jehovah 
heareth  your  murmur- 
ings  which  you  mur- 
mur against  him,  and 
what  axe  we  ? Your 
murmurings  are  not 
against  us  but  against 
Jehovah. 

13  And  it  came  to 
pass  in  the  even- 
ing that  the  quails 
came  up  and  covered 
the  camp;  and  in  the 
morning  the  dew  lay 
around  about  the  camp. 
14aAnd  when  the  dew 
that  lay  was  gone,  there 
was  on  the  surface  of 
the  wilderness  a small 
scale-like  thing.  Then 
Moses  and  Aaron  said, 


The 

manna 


Num.  II13  Heb.,  weep  upon  me. 
2)0 


The 
quails 
and  di- 
vine 
judg- 
ment 


Num.  II20]  MANNA  AND  QUAILS  [Ex.  1615’ 16 


Early  Judean 

20but  a whole  month, until 
it  comes  out  at  your  nos- 
trils, and  is  loathsome  to 
you;  because  you  have 
rejected  Jehovah  who  is 
among  you,  and  have 
wept  before  him,  saying, 
“Why  did  we  come  out  of 
Egypt  ?”  ’ 21Then  Mo- 
ses said,  The  people 
among  whom  I am,  are 
six  hundred  thousand 
men  on  foot;  yet  thou 
hast  said,*  I will  give  them 
flesh  that  they  may  eat 
a whole  month.’  22  Can 
flocks  and  herds  be  slain 
sufficient  for  them  ? or  can 
all  the  fish  of  the  sea  be 
gathered  sufficient  for 
them  ? 23But  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  Is  Jeho- 
vah’s power  limitedrf 
Now  shalt  thou  see 
whether  my  promise  to 
thee  shall  come  to  pass 
or  not. 


24aThen  Moses  went 
out,  and  told  the  people 
the  words  of  Jehovah. 
31And  a wind  went  forth 
from  Jehovah  and 
brought  quails  from  the 
sea  and  scattered  them 
upon  the  camp,  about  a 
day’s  journey  on  this 
side,  and  a day’s  journey 
on  the  other  side,  round 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 


15And  when  the  Is- 
raelites saw  it,  they 
said  to  each  other, 
What  is  it  ? for  they  did 
not  know  what  it  was. 
And  Moses  said  to 
them,  It  is  the  food 
which  Jehovah  hath 
given  you  to  eat.  21And 
they  gathered  it  every 
morning,  each  one  as  much 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

1GThis  is  the  command 
which  Jehovah  hath 
given,  * Gather  from 
it  each  according  to  the 
quantity  he  can  con- 
sume; an  omer  apiece, 
according  to  the  num- 
ber of  your  persons, 
you  shall  take  it,  each 
man  for  those  who  are 
in  his  tent.’  17And  the 
Israelites  did  so,  and 
gathered,  some  more, 
some  less.  18And  when 
they  measured  it  with 
an  omer,  he  who  had 
gathered  much  had 
nothing  over,  and  he 
who  had  gathered  little 
lacked  nothing,  each 
one  had  gathered  as 
much  as  he  could  con- 
sume. 19And  Moses 
said  to  them,  Let  no 
one  leave  any  of  it  until 
the  morning.  ^How- 
ever they  did  not  obey 
Moses;  but  certain  men 
left  some  of  it  until  the 
morning,  and  it  bred 
worms  and  spoiled. 
Therefore  Moses  was 
angry  with  them. 

22  And  it  came  to  pass  that 
on  the  sixth  day  they  gath- 
ered twice  as  much  food — 
two  omers  for  each  one — 
and  all  the  princes  of  the 
congregation  came  and  told 
Moses.  2:,And  he  said  to 
them,  This  is  because  Jeho- 
vah has  commanded,  ‘ To- 
morrow shall  be  a day  of 
rest,  a sabbath,  conse- 
crated to  Jehovah.  Bake 
that  which  you  wish  to 
bake  and  boil  that  which 
you  wish  to  boil ; but  all 
that  is  left  over  lay  up  in 


Memo- 
rial of 
the 

manna 


(Num.  ll23Heb.,  Is  Jehovah's  hand  short I 

211 


Com- 
plaint c 
the  peo- 
ple for 
lack  of 
water 


Num.  II31]  LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  [Ex.  1621<  23 


Early  Judean 

about  the  camp,  and 
about  two  cubits  above 
the  surface  of  the  earth. 
32Therefore  the  people 
spent  all  that  day  and  all 
the  night,  and  all  the  next 
day,  in  gathering  the 
quails.  He  who  gathered 
least  gathered  ten 
homers;8  and  they  spread 
them  all  out  for  them- 
selves about  the  camp. 
33While  they  were  still 
eating*1  the  flesh,  before 
the  supply  was  exhaust- 
ed, the  anger  of  Jehovah 
was  aroused  against  the 
people,  and  Jehovah 
smote  the  people  with  a 
very  great  plague. 
34Hence  the  name  of  that 
place  was  called  Kibroth- 
hattaavah  [Graves  of  the 
craving],  because  there 
they  buried  the  people 
who  had  the  craving. 
35From  Kibroth  - hatta- 
avah  the  people  jour- 
neyed to  Hazeroth,  and 
remained  at  Hazeroth. 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

order  to  keep  it  until  to- 
morrow.’ 24So  they  laid  it 
up  until  the  next  day,  as 
Moses  commanded,  hut  it 
did  not  become  foul,  nor 
were  there  any  worms  in  it. 
25And  Moses  said,  Eat  that 
to-day,  for  to-day  is  a sab- 
bath to  Jehovah ; to-day 
you  will  not  find  it  in  the 
field.  26Six  days  shall  you 
gather  it,  but  on  the  seventh 
day,  the  sabbath,  there  will 
be  none. 

31And  the  house  of 
Israel  called  it  manna; 
and  it  was  white  like 
coriander  seed,  and  its 
taste  was  like  wafers 
with  honey.  32And 
Moses  said,  This  is  the  command  which  Jehovah 
hath  given:  ‘An  omerful  of  it  shall  be  kept  for 
your  descendants,1  that  they  may  see  the  food 
with  which  I fed  you  in  the  wilderness,  when  I 
brought  you  forth  from  the  land  of  Egypt.’  33 And 
Moses  said  to  Aaron,  Take  a jar  and  put  an  omer- 
ful of  manna  in  it  and  deposit  it  before  Jehovah, 
to  be  kept  for  your  descendants.  34As  Jehovah 
commanded  Moses,  so  Aaron  deposited  it  before 
the  ark  of  the  testimony,  to  be  kept. 

35bSo  they  ate  the  manna  until  they  came  to 
the  frontier  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  36Nowanomer 
is  the  tenth  part  of  an  ephah. 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

as  he  could  consume  ; and 
when  the  sun  became 
hot,  it  melted.  27But 
when  on  the  seventh 
day  some  of  the  people 
went  out  to  gather,  they 
found  none.  28Then 
Jehovah  said  to  Moses, 
How  long  do  you  re- 
fuse to  keep  my  com- 
mandments and  my 
laws?  35aAnc'  the  Is- 
raelites ate  the  manna 
forty  years  until  they 
came  to  a habitable 
land. 


§ 88.  Drawing  Water  from  the  Rock,  Ex.  17lc_7,  Num.  1216,  201-13 


Early  Judean 

Num.  12  16Afterwards 
the  people  set  forth  from 
Hazeroth,  and  encamped 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

Num.  20  lbWhile 
the  people  were  staying 
in  Kadesh,  Miriam 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

Num.  20  laThen  the 
Israelites,  the  whole 


e Num.  II32  About  100  bushels.  Although  similar  in  sound,  the  homer  is  distinct  from 
omer  in  Ex.  32  ■ ®.  Cf.  Appendix  IX. 

h Num.  II33  Heb.,  while  the  flesh  was  still  between  their  teeth. 

> Ex.  1632  In-  the  Heb.  the  first  part  of  Jehovah's  command  is  given  in  the  indirect  discourse. 
§ 88  The  restoration  of  the  section  Ex.  16,  17  (cf.  note  § 74)  to  its  original  position  after 
the  events  at  Sinai  at  once  facilitates  the  solution  of  the  difficult  problems  in  Ex.  171-7.  Num. 
201-13  contains  a close  parallel,  the  language  and  ideas  of  which  proclaim  that  it  is  from  the  late 
priestly  source.  Fragments,  however,  are  found  of  a prophetic  version  in  3a-  5 in  which  the 
people  are  represented  as  striving  simply  with  Moses,  while  in  the  priestly  parallel  the  as- 
sembled congregation  complain  against  both  Moses  and  Aaron,  2.  Note  also  that  4 and  5 are 
duplicates. 

The  Deuteronomic  parallel,  Dt.  83,  15-  16,  which  depends  not  upon  the  priestly  but  the  early 

212 


WATER  FROM  THE  ROCK 


Num.  1216] 

Early  Judean 

in  the  wilderness  of  Par- 
sin.  Ex.  17  3And  the  peo- 
ple were  thirsty  there  for 
water,  and  murmured 
against  Moses,  and  said, 
YVhy  have  you  brought  us 
up  from  Egypt  to  kill  us 
with  our  children  and 
cattle,  with  thirst  ? Moses 
answered,  2bWhy  do  you 
test  Jehovah  ? ^a’  cSo  he 
called  the  name  of  the 
place  Massah  [Testing], 
because  they  tested  Jeho- 
vah, saying,  Is  Jehovah 
among  us  or  not? 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

died  and  was  buried 
there. 

Ex.  17  lcAnd  when 
there  was  no  water  for 
the  people  to  drink, 
2athe  people  contended 
with  Moses,  saying, 
Give  us  water  that  we 
may  drink.  But  Moses 
said  to  them,  Why  do 
you  contend  with  me? 
Num.  20  5And  they 
said,  Why  have  you 
made  us  come  up  out  of 
Egypt,  to  bring  us  into 
this  evil  place?  it  is  no 
place  for  seeds,  nor  figs, 
nor  vines,  nor  pome- 
granates, neitheristhere 
any  water  to  drink. 


[Num.  201 

Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

congregation,  came 
into  the  wilderness  of 
Zin  in  the  first  month. 
2And  there  was  no  wa- 
ter for  the  congrega- 
tion; so  they  assembled 
against  Moses  and 
Aaron,  3band  said, 
Would  that  we  had 
died  when  our  kinsmen 
died  before  Jehovah! 
4And  why  have  you 
brought  the  assembly  of 
Jehovah  into  this  wil- 
derness, that  we  should 
die  here,  we  and  our 
cattle  ? 


prophetic  versions,  brings  the  smiting  of  the  rock  in  immediate  conjunction  with  the  provision 
of  manna.  It  is  also  to  be  expected  at  the  beginning  of  the  wilderness  life.  The  introduc- 
tion to  the  priestly  version,  Num.  20la,  places  it  definitely  during  the  first  month  when  the  He- 
brews entered  the  wilderness  of  Zin,  the  centre  of  which  was  Kadesh.  Cf.  Num.  3336,  2713.  The 
reference  in  20lb,  which  from  its  allusion  to  Miriam  is  identified  with  the  Ephraimite  source, 
localizes  it  at  Kadesh,  and  suggests  that  the  fragments  of  the  second  version  in  3a. 6 are  also  from 
the  same  narrative  and  that  that  source,  like  the  priestly,  associates  Meribah  (the  place  of  con- 
tention) with  Kadesh.  Later  allusions  to  the  smiting  of  the  rock  designate  the  place  as  Meri- 
bah of  Kadesh,  Num.  2714,  Dt.  3251,  Ezek.  471<J,  4828.  The  identification,  therefore,  seems  to  be 
well  established  and  was  probably  derived  from  the  Ephraimite  version.  The  stories  may 
represent  the  ancient  tradition  regarding  the  origin  of  the  famous  spring  at  Kadesh. 

It  is  now  generally  recognized  that  two  distinct  abbreviated  versions  of  the  smiting  of  the 
rock  are  closely  welded  together  in  Ex.  171-7.  Vss. lb' 2a  is  a duplicate  of  3. 2b.  In  7 the  origin  of  the 
names  of  two  distinct  places  is  given.  Cf.  Dt.  338  where  Massah  and  Meribah  are  mentioned 
together,  but  as  different  sites.  So  elsewhere  in  Dt.  The  analysis  is  reasonably  certain:  the 
murmuring  of  the  people  and  the  reference  to  their  cattle  (cf.  Ex.  9s,  109'26,  1232.38,  1913,  343)  in  3 
indicate  clearly  that  it  belongs  to  the  Judean  narratives.  With  it  goes  2b,  which  has  been  trans- 
posed in  the  process  of  amalgamation,  and  its  sequel, 7a.  c.  The  resemblance  of  this  brief  story  to 
that  in  Ex.  14u  and  Num.  1 113'  20  is  unmistakable.  It  is  apparently  the  Judean  parallel  to  the 
Ephraimite  Massah  story  in  Ex.  16,  § 87 ; but  since,  like  the  Meribah  stories,  it  is  concerned 
with  the  securing  of  water,  not  of  food,  it  is  joined  with  them.  The  other  parallel  in  Ex.  171’7 
is  clearly  from  the  Ephraimite  source,  as  is  indicated  by  the  phraseology  and  the  rod  in  the  hand 
of  Moses,  with  which  he  smites  the  rock,  even  as  in  the  corresponding  plague  stories.  This 
brief  Ephraimite  version  of  the  Meribah  story  is  evidently  identical  with  the  fragments  in  Num. 
203a'  5.  Vs.  3a  in  fact  is  word  for  word  the  same  as  Ex.  172a,  and  5 supplies  the  answer  to  Moses’s 
otherwise  unanswered  question  in  Ex.  172b — the  plural  verb  in  5a  being  clearly  due  to  the 
redactor. 

It  is  not  entirely  certain  that  the  Judean  parallel  which  localizes  the  murmuring  for  water 
at  Massah  originally  stood  after  the  Sinai  incidents.  That  it  did  is  strongly  suggested  (1)  by 
the  fact  that  it  would  naturally  be  expected  at  the  beginning  of  the  life  in  the  wilderness;  (2) 
its  position  in  a context  which  has  apparently  been  transposed  in  toto;  (3)  by  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  Judean  parallel  to  the  Meribah  stories  and  deals  with  the  same  incidents;  (4)  by  Dt.  33s, 
which  mentions  Massah  and  Meribah  together;  (5)  by  Dt.  922,  which  brings  Taberah,  Massah 
and  Kibroth-hattaavah  in  close  conjunction.  If  the  detached  Num.  1216  originally  introduced 
the  Judean  version,  the  parallel  with  the  priestly  is  perfect,  for  the  wilderness  of  Paran  in  one 
corresponds  to  the  wilderness  of  Zin  in  the  other.  Unfortunately  only  a fragment  remains  of 
what — to  judge  from  the  many  references — was  originally  an  important  story. 


213 


Water 
from  the 
smitten 
rock 


The  bat- 
tle and 
victory 


Ex.  174] 


LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  [Num.  209 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

Ex.  17  4Then  Moses 
cried  to  Jehovah  saying, 
What  shall  I do  unto  this 
people?  they  are  almost 
ready  to  stone  me.  5And 
Jehovah  said  to  Moses, 
Pass  on  before  the  people 
and  take  with  thee  some 
of  the  elders  of  Israel ; and 
thy  staff  with  which  thou 
smotest  the  river,  take  in 
thy  hand  and  go.  6Be- 
hold,  I will  stand  before 
thee  there  upon  the  rock 
as  in  IIoreb,k  and  when 
thou  shalt  smite  the  rock, 
there  shall  come  water  out 
of  it,  that  the  people  may 
drink.  And  Moses  did  so 
in  the  sight  of  the  elders 
of  Israel.  7]=,And  he  called 
the  place  Meribah  [Con- 
tention], because  of  the 
contending  of  the  Israel- 
ites. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

6Then  Moses  and  Aaron  went  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  assembly  to  the  door  of  the  tent  of 
meeting,  and  fell  upon  their  faces;  and  the  glory 
of  Jehovah  appeared  to  them.  7And  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  8Take  the  staff  and  assemble  the 
congregation,  thou,  and  Aaron  thy  brother;  com- 
inandJ  the  rock  in  their  presence  to  give  forth  its 
water,  and  thou  shalt  bring  water  out  of  the  rock 
for  them;  thus  thou  shalt  give  the  congregation 
and  their  cattle  drink.  9So  Moses  took  the  staff 
from  before  Jehovah,  as  he  commanded  him. 
10And  when  Moses  and  Aaron  had  gathered  the 
assembly  together  before  the  rock,  he  said  to  them, 
Hear  now,  you  rebels,  Is  it  from  this  rock  that 
we  must  bring  forth  water  for  you?  11Thereupon 
Moses  raised  his  hand,  and  struck  the  rock  with 
his  staff  twice,  and  water  came  forth  abundantly, 
so  that  the  congregation  drank,  and  their  cattle. 
12And  Jehovah  said  to  Moses  and  Aaron,  Because 
ye  believed  not  in  me,  to  treat  me  as  holy  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Israelites,* 1  therefore  ye  shall  not  bring 
this  assembly  into  the  land  which  I have  given 
them.  13These  are  the  waters  of  Meribah  [Con- 
tention]; because  the  Israelites  contended  with 
Jehovah,  and  he  vindicated  his  holiness  among 
them. 


§ 89.  Conflict  with  the  Amalekites,  Ex.  178-16 
Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Ex.  17  8Then  Amalek  came  and  fought  with  Israel  in  Rephidim.  9And 
Moses  said  to  Joshua,  Choose  men  and  go  fight  with  Amalek.  To-morrow  I 
will  stand  on  the  top  of  the  hill  with  the  rod  of  God  in  my  hand.  10So  Joshua 
did  as  Moses  had  said  to  him,  and  fought  with  Amalek;  and  Moses,  Aaron 
and  Hur  went  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill.  11  And  whenever  Moses  held  up  his 


i Num.  208b  Heb.  has  a plural  verb  although  the  context  indicates  that  it  must  originally 
have  been  singular. 

k Ex.  17 11  The  original  Ephraimite  version  may  have  been  localized  at  Sinai-Horeb,  or  more 
probably  in  Iioreb  was  originally  a later  note  which  has  crept  into  the  text. 

1 Num.  2012  The  sin  of  Moses,  which  is  often  alluded  to  in  the  subsequent  priestly  traditions, 
has  been  obscured,  so  that  its  exact  nature  can  only  be  conjectured.  It  was  probably  to  the 
effect  that  he  failed  to  command  the  rock  to  give  forth  water,  20sb,  and  thus  to  demonstrate 
before  the  people  Jehovah’s  supreme  power. 

§ 89  Recent  commentators  on  this  section  are  all  agreed  that  it  belongs  at  a later  point  in 
the  narratives,  than  its  position  in  Ex.  suggests.  It  has  no  real  connection  with  its  context, 
except  that  it  is  apparently  a part  of  the  series  of  transposed  narratives  in  Ex.  16,  18.  Cf.  note 
§ 74.  In  Ex.  3311  Joshua  is  seemingly  introduced  for  the  first  time  as  a young  man  who  min- 
istered to  Moses  in  the  tent  of  meeting,  but  here  he  figures  as  a well-known,  experienced  com- 
mander, even  as  in  the  book  of  Joshua.  Moses  also  appears  to  be  an  old  man  whose  hands  must 
be  supported.  In  Gen.  147  the  Amalekites  are  located  near  Kadesh,  and  elsewhere  in  the  tra- 
ditions and  later  histories  they  are  found  on  the  southern  borders  of  Canaan,  Cf.  Num.  1329, 

214 


CONFLICT  WITH  THE  AMALEKITES  [Ex.  1711 
Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

hand,  Israel  prevailed;  and  whenever  he  let  down  his  hand,  Amalek  prevailed. 

12But  when  Moses’  hands  became  weary,  they  took  a stone  and  put  it  under 
him,  and  he  sat  on  it,  while  Aaron  and  Ilur  held  up  his  hands,  the  one  on 
the  one  side  and  the  other  on  the  other.  So  his  hands  were  supported  until 
the  going  down  of  the  sun.  13And  Joshua  laid  Amalek  and  his  people  low 
with  the  edge  of  the  sword. 

14Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Write  this  for  a memorial  in  a book  and  re-  cause  of 
hearse  it  in  the  ears  of  Joshua:  that  I will  utterly  blot  out  the  remembrance  reditary 
of  Amalek  from  under  heaven™  15Then  Moses  built  an  altar,  and  called  the  auainsty 
name  of  it  Jehovah-nissi  [Jehovah  my  banner]  ;n  16and  he  said,  Jehovah  hath  ai'eidtes" 
sworn;  Jehovah  will  have  war  with  Amalek  from  generation  to  generation. 


§ 90.  Mission  and  Report  of  the  Spies,  Num.  13,  141-10,  Dt.  120~32 


Early  Ju- 
dean 

Num.  1 3 

17bT7im  Mo- 
ses took  cer- 
tain men  and 
said  to  them, 
Go  up  now 


Ephraimite 
[Dt.  I22- 23] 
Then  the  peo- 
ple came  near 
to  Moses  and 
said,  Let  us 
send  men  to 
spy  out  the 


Late 

Prophetic 

Dt.  1 

20ThenI  [Mo- 
ses] said 
to  you,  ‘You 
have  come  to 
the  hill-coun-  | 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Num.  13  JThen  Jehovah  The  se- 
said  to  Moses,  2Send  men,  and™ 
that  they  may  spy  out  the  forUi'S 
land  of  Canaan,  which  I am  thespiea 
about  to  give  to  the  Israel- 
ites; from  each  tribe  of  their 
fathers  shall  ye  send  a man, 


1425, 43, 45.  The  Hebrews  encounter  them  as  they  go  up  to  force  an  entrance  in  Canaan.  Rephi- 
dim  may  have  been  added  by  an  editor.  In  the  itineraries  it  is  located  next  to  Sinai,  which  in 
turn  was  probably  in  the  vicinity  of  Kadesh,  so  that  the  mention  of  that  site  is  not  incompatible 
with  the  probable  conjecture  that  this  tradition  records  the  decisive  struggle  whereby  the  Israel- 
ites drove  out  the  nomadic  inhabitants  of  the  pasture-lands  about  Kadesh  and  thus  gained 
possession  of  the  territory,  where  they  remained  for  a generation,  more  or  less.  The  story  is 
evidently  from  the  Ephraimite  narratives,  as  is  shown  by  the  use  of  the  rod  of  God  in  9 and  the 
prominence  of  Aaron,  Hur  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun.  Cf.  Ex.  2413-  14. 

m 1714  Cf.  Dt.  2517-19.  The  verse  may  be  a later  insertion  in  Ex. 

B 1715  Heb.  word  unusual.  It  may  be  a variant  of  the  word  throne.  So  Sam.  A slight  and 
more  probable  emendation  gives  the  above. 

§ 90  This  story  records  the  unsuccessful  attempt  of  the  Hebrews  to  enter  Canaan  directly 
from  the  south.  As  in  the  case  of  the  most  important  incidents,  each  group  of  narratives  had 
its  distinct  version.  Although  very  closely  united,  three  surprisingly  complete  parallels  can  be 
distinguished  in  Num.  131-1415.  The  identification  of  the  late  priestly  is,  as  usual,  the  easiest. 
According  to  131_17a  twelve  men,  one  from  each  tribe,  set  out  from  the  wilderness  of  Paran,  and 
in  exactly  forty  days,  25,  they  bring  back  an  unfavorable  report  to  Moses  and  Aaron  and  the  con- 
gregation, 25-  26>  32.  Joshua  and  Caleb,  at  the  risk  of  their  life,  try  to  persuade  the  people  to  go 
up,  14la.  2b-  5-7.  9a.  10. 

The  Deuteronomic  parallel  facilitates  the  identification  of  the  Ephraimite  version.  The 
parallelism  between  Num.  1317b*  1Sa> c-  20-  21a-  23-  24>  2Gb  and  Dt.  I24-  25  is  so  close  that  it  makes  it 
possible  to  reconstruct  with  assurance  the  first  part  of  the  story  which  is  lacking.  Consistent 
with  the  representation  of  the  Ephraimite  narratives,  the  spies  set  out  from  Kadesh,  where 
the  people  remain.  The  list  of  people  in  ^ 33  appears  to  belong  to  the  same  source.  The  limita- 
tion of  the  territory  of  the  Canaanites  to  the  Jordan  valley  and  the  coast  plains  is  seemingly 
peculiar  to  it,  and  very  different  from  the  representation  of  the  Judean.  Cf.,  e.  g.,  1443.  The 
location  of  the  Ammonites  in  the  hill-country  and  certain  characteristic  expressions  confirm 
the  classification.  The  Deuteronomic  parallel  is  also  helpful  in  reconstructing  the  Ephraimite 
version  in  Num.  141*10.  It  demonstrates  that  the  words  of  Moses  in  9b  are  attributed  in  the  re- 
arrangement of  the  editor  to  Joshua  and  Caleb.  The  words  in  8 were  probably  likewise  origi- 
nally first  uttered  by  Caleb,  and  belong  to  the  Judean  narratives,  as  such  expressions  as  a land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey  (cf.  13273)  and  our  wives  and  our  little  ones  will  he  a -prey  indicate. 

The  version  found  in  the  remaining  verses  of  13  have  the  characteristics  of  the  Judean  nar- 
ratives. Caleb,  not  Aaron  or  Joshua,  is  the  chief  spokesman,  30,  and  Moses  alone  accepts  his 
counsel.  Here  the  spies  penetrate  only  to  Hebron,  22,  while  in  the  Ephraimite  they  go  to  the 
valley  of  Eshcol,  23,  and  in  the  late  priestly  to  Hamath  in  the  extreme  north.  The  prominence 
of  Caleb  and  the  names  of  the  children  of  Anak,  22,  are  all  peculiar  to  the  Judean  source.  Cf. 
Judg.  1,  § 114.  The  phraseology,  e.  g.,  a land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  27 , leaves  little  doubt 
as  to  the  classification. 


215 


Num.  1317b-c] 


LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  [Dt.  I20,  Num.  132 


Early  Ju- 
dean 

into  the 
South  Coun- 
try, 18and  see 
what  the 
land  is,  and 
the  people 
who  dwell 
therein, 
whether  they 
are  strong  or 
weak,  wheth- 
er few  or 
many,  19and 
what  the 
land  is  in 
which  they 
dwell, wheth- 
er it  is  good 
or  bad;  and 
what  the 
cities  are  in 
which  they 
dwell,  wheth- 
er in  camps 
or  in  strong- 
holds. 


Ephraimite 
land  and  bring 
us  a report  of 
the  way  we 
must  go  up 
and  what  the 
cities  are 
which  we 
shall  find 
there.  And  the 
plan  pleased 
Moses  and  he 
took  twelve 
men,  one  from 
each  tribe,  and 
said  to  them, 
N u m . 1 3 

17cGo  up  into 
the  hill-coun- 
try, 20and  see 
what  the  land 
is,  whether  it 
is  fertile  or 
barren, wheth- 
e r there  i s 
wood  in  it  or 
not.  And  ex- 
ert yourselves 
to  bring  some 
of  the  fruit  of 
the  land.  Now 
the  time  was 
the  time  of 
the  first  ripe 
grapes. 


Late  Prophetic 
try  of  the  Am- 
orites,  which 
Jehovah  our 
God  is  about 
t o give  u s. 
21Behold  Je- 
hovah your 
God  hath  set 
the  land  be- 
fore you ; go 
up,  take  pos- 
session, as  Je- 
hovah the 
God  of  your 
fathers  hath 
commanded 
you,  fear  not, 
neither  be 
d ismayed.’ 
22Then  y o u 
came  near  to 
me,  every  one 
of  you,  and 
said,  ‘Let  us 
send  men  be- 
fore us,  that 
they  may  spy 
out  the  land 
for  us,  and 
bring  us  a re- 
port of  t h e 
way  by  which 
we  must  go  up 
and  the  cities 
to  which  we 
shall  come.’ 
23  And  the 
plan  pleased 
me  well;  so  I 
took  twelve 
men  of  you, 
one  man  for 
each  tribe. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 
every  one  a prince  among 
them.  3So  Moses  sent  them 
from  the  wilderness  of  Pa- 
ran  according  to  the  com- 
mand of  Jehovah;  all  of 
them  were  men  who  were 
heads  of  the  Israelites. 
4And  these  were  their 
names:  from  the  tribe  of 
Reuben,  Shammua  the  son 
of  Zaccur.  5From  the  tribe 
of  Simeon,  Shaphat  the  son 
of  Hori.  6From  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh.  7From  the 
tribe  of  Issachar,  Igal  the 
son  of  Joseph.  8From  the 
tribe  of  Ephraim,  Hoshea 
the  son  of  Nun.  9From  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin,  Palti  the 
son  of  Raphu.  10From  the 
tribe  of  Zebulun,  Gaddiel 
the  son  of  Sodi.  11  From  the 
tiibe  of  Joseph,  of  the  tribe 
of  Manasseh,  Gaddi  the  son 
of  Susi.  12From  the  tribe  of 
Dan,  Ammiel  the  son  of 
Gamalli.  13From  the  tribe 
of  Asher,  Sethur  the  son  of 
Michael.  14From  the  tribe 
of  Naphtali,  Nahbi  the  son 
of  Vophsi.  15From  the 
tribe  of  Gad,  Geuel  the  son 
of  Machi.  16These  are  the 
names  of  the  men  whom 
Moses  sent  to  spy  out  the 
land.  And  Moses  called 
Hoshea  the  son  of  Nun, 
Joshua.0  17aAnd  Moses 
sent  them  to  spy  out  the 
land  of  Canaan. 


° Num.  1316  According  to  the  priestly  narratives  the  name  Jehovah  was  not  revealed  until 
after  the  birth  of  Joshua,  Ex.  6,  § 61.  Accordingly  the  author  reasons  that  the  name  could  not 
have  originally  contained  the  shortened  form  of  Jehovah  and  so  attributes  the  form  Joshua  to 
Moses. 


216 


Num.  1322>  21  a] 


MISSION  OF  THE  SPIES  [Dt.  I24,  Num.  1321b 


Early  Judean 

22So  they  went  up 
by  the  South  Coun- 
try, and  came  to 
Hebron ; and  Ahi- 
man,  Sheshai  and 
T a 1 m a i , the  chil- 
dren of  Anak,  were 
there.  (Now  Hebron 
was  built  seven 
years  before  Zoan 
in  Egypt).  27&Then 
they  returned  and 
told  him,  saying, 
We  came  to  the 
land  to  which  you 
sent  us;  and  surely 
it  flows  with  milk 
and  honey.  28But 
the  people  who 
dwell  in  the  land 
are  strong,  and  the 
cities  are  fortified, 
and  very  large; 
and  moreover  w e 
saw  the  children  of 
Anak  there. 

30T hen  Caleb 
stilled  the  people 
before  Moses, p and 
said,  We  surely 
ought  to  go  up  and 
take  possession  of  it ; 
for  we  are  well  able 
to  overcome  it. 
31But  the  men  who 
went  up  with  him 
said,  We  are  not 
able  to  go  up  against 
the  people;  for  they 
are  stronger  than 
we. 


Ephraimite 

21aSo  they  went  up 
23and  when  they 
came  to  the  valley  of 
Eshcol,  they  cut 
down  from  there  a 
branch  with  one  clus- 
ter of  grapes,  and 
carried  it  upon  a 
staff  between  two 
men,  and  also  some 
of  the  pomegranates, 
and  some  of  the  figs. 
24That  place  was 
called  the  valley  of 
Eshcol  [Grape-clus- 
ter], because  of  the 
cluster  which  the  Is- 
raelites cut  down 
from  there.  26bAnd 
they  returned  to  Iva- 
desh,  and  brought 
back  a report  to 
them,  and  showed 
them  the  fruit  of  the 
land,  27hand  said, 
This  is  the  fruit  of  it. 
29(The  Amalekites 
were  dwelling  in  the 
land  of  the  South; 
and  the  Hittites  and 
the  Jebusites  and 
the  Amorites  in  the 
hill-country ; and 
the  Canaanites  were 
dwelling  by  the  sea, 
and  along  by  the 
side  of  the  Jordan.) 
33 And  there  we  saw 
Nephilim  [giants], 
(the  sons  of  Anak  are 
some  of  the  Nephilim), <i 
and  we  were  in  our 
own  eyes  as  grass- 
hoppers, and  so  we 
were  in  their  eyes. 


Late  Priestly 

Narratives 

21b  So  they  Their 
spied  out  the  ind™7 
land  from port 
the  wilderness 
of  Zin  to  Re- 
hob, to  the  en- 
trance of  Ha- 
math. 

25 And  when 
they  returned 
from  spying 
out  the  land 
at  the  end  of 
forty  days, 
26athey  came 
to  Moses  and 
Aaron,  and  all 
the  congrega- 
tion of  the  Is- 
raelites in  the 
wilderness  of 
Paran.  32And 
they  rendered 
a bad  report  to 
the  Israelites 
of  the  land 
which  they  had 
spied  out  say- 
ing, The  land 
through  which 
we  have  gone 
to  spy  it  out,  is 
a land  that 
eats  up  its  in- 
habitants; and 
all  the  people 
that  we  saw 
in  it  are  men 
of  great  stat- 
ure. 


Late  Prophetic 
24Then  they 
turned  and 
went  up  into 
the  hill-coun- 
try, and  came 
to  the  valley 
of  Eshcol,  and 
spied  it  out. 
25And  they 
took  some  of 
the  fruit  of  the 
land  in  their 
hands,  and 
b r o u ght  i t 
down  to  us, 
and  reported 
to  us,  saying, 
‘It  is  a good 
land  which 
Jehovah  our 
God  is  about 
to  give  to  us. 


p Num.  1330  Heb.  and  Syr.  seem  to  mean,  stilled  the  murmurings  of  the  people  against  Moses. 
s Num.  1333  An  explanatory  gloss  not  found  in  the  Gk. 

217 


Murmur- 
ing of 
the  peo- 
ple at  the 
report  of 
the  spies 


Num.  141] 


LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 


[Dt.  I26,  Num.  14la 


Late  Prophetic 

26Yet  you  would 
not  go  up,  but  re- 
belled against  the 
command  of  Jeho- 
vah your  God,  27and 
murmured  in  your 
tents,  and  said, 
‘Because  Jehovah 
hated  us,  he  hath 
brought  us  forth 
out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  to  deliver  us 
into  the  power  of  the 
Amorites,  to  destroy 
us.  28Whither  are  we 
going  up?  Our  kins- 
men have  made  us 
lose  heart,  saying, 
The  people  are 
greater  and  taller 
than  we;  the  cities 
are  large  and  forti- 
fied even  to  heaven; 
and  mo  reover  we 
have  seen  the  sons  of 
the  Anakim  there.”  ’ 
29Then  I said  to  you, 
‘Fear  not,  neither 
be  afraid  of  them. 
30Jehovah  your  God, 
who  goeth  before  you,  he  himself  shall  fight  for  you 
just  as  he  did  for  you  in  Egypt  before  your  eyes, 
31and  in  the  wilderness,  where  you  have  seen  how 
Jehovah  your  God  carried  you,  as  a man  carries  his 
son,  in  all  the  way  that  you  went,  until  you  came 
to  this  place.’  32 Yet  in  spite  of  this  assurance  you 
did  not  trust  Jehovah  your  God. 


Early  Judean 

Ephraimite 

14  lcThen 

14  lbThen 

the  people 

the  people 

wept  that 

cried  aloud, 

night,  3say- 

4and  said  to 

ing,  Why  did 

one  another, 

J e h o v a h 

Let  us  make 

bring  u s t o 

a captain  and 

this  land,  to 

return  to 

fall  by  t h e 

Egypt-  [Dt-  1 

sword  ? Our 

29a]  But  Mo- 

wives  and 

ses  said  to 

our  little 

them,Qb  Do 

ones  will  be 

not  be  afraid 

a prey!  were 

of  the  people 

it  not  better 

of  the  land, 

for  us  to 

for  they  are 

return  to 

our  bread. 

Egypt?  But 

Their  d e - 

Caleb  replied 

fencer  is  re- 

8If  Jehovah 

moved  from 

delights  in  us, 

over  them, 

then  he  will 

whereas  Jeho- 

bring  us  into 

vah  is  with  us; 

this  land,  and 

do  not  be 

give  it  to  us; 

afraid  of 

a land  which 

them.[Dt.l32] 

flows  with 

But  the  people 

milk  and 

would  not  trust 

honey. 

in  Jehovah. 

Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

14  laThen  all  the 
congregation  lifted 
up  their  voice  2and 
all  the  Israelites  mur- 
mured loudly  against 
Moses  and  Aaron 
and  the  whole  con- 
gregation said  to 
them,  Would  that 
we  had  died  in  the 
land  of  Egypt!  or 
would  that  we  had 
died  in  this  wilder- 
ness! 5Then  Moses 
and  Aaron  fell  on 
their  faces  before  all 
the  assembly  of  the 
congregation  of  the  Is- 
raelites 6 And  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun  and 
Caleb  the  son  of  Jep- 
hunneh  who  were  a- 
mong  those  who  spied 
out  the  land  tore  their 
clothes,  7and  said  to 
all  the  congregation 
of  the  Israelites,  The 
land  through  which 
we  passed  to  spy  it  out 
is  a very  good  land. 
9aOnly  do  not  rebel 
against  Jehovah. 
10But  all  the  congre- 
gation gave  com- 
mand to  stone  them 
with  stones.  Then 
the  glory  of  Jehovah 
appeared  in  the  tent 
of  meeting  to  all  the 
Israelites. 


1 Num.  149b  Heb.,  shadow,  i.  e.,  the  protection  of  their  gods.  Cf.  Ps.  911,  121*. 


218 


Num.  1411*  25]  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  PEOPLE  [Dt.  I34,  Num.  1426 


§91.  Punishment  and  Defeat  of  the  Rebellious  People, 


V 


Dt.  I34-46 


Num.  1411-*5,  211'3, 


Early  Judean 
Num.  14  11  And 

Jehovah  .said  to  Moses, 
How  long  will  this  peo- 
ple despise  me  ? and  how 
long  will  they  refuse  to 
trust  me,  in  spite  of  all 
the  signs  which  1 have 
worked  among  them  ? 
12I  will  smite  them  with 
a pestilence,  and  disin- 
herit them,  and  will 
make  thee  a nation 
greater  and  mightier 
than  they.  13But  Moses 
said  to  Jehovah,  Then 
the  Egyptians  will  hear 
it  (for  thou  bronghtest 
this  people  in  thy  might 
from  among  them), 
14atid  they  will  tell  it  to 
the  inhabitants  of  this 
land.  They  have  heard 
that  thou,  Jehovah,  art 
in  the  midst  of  this  peo- 
ple ; for  thou,  Jehovah, 
art  seen  eye  to  eye,  and 
thy  cloud  standeth  over 
them,  and  thou  goest 
before  them  in  a pillar 
of  cloud  by  day,  and  in 
a pillar  of  fire  by  night. 


Early 

Ephraimite 

14  25(Now  the 
Amalekites  and 
the  Canaanites 
were  dwelling 
in  the  lowland).3 
There] ore  Je- 
hovah said. 
To-morrow 
turn  and  go 
into  the  wil- 
derness by  the 
w ay  leading 
to  the  Red 
Sea.  39bBut 
the  people 
mourned 
greatly.  40And 
early  the 
next  morning 
they  went  up 
to  the  top  of 
the  mountain. 


Late 

Prophetic 

Dt.  1 34  And 
when Jehovah 
heard  what 
you  said,  he 
was  angry  and 
took  an  oath, 
saying, 
35‘Surely  there 
shall  not  one 
of  these  men 
of  this  evil 
generation  see 
the  good  land 
which  I swore 
t o give  t o 
your  fathers, 
36except  Ca- 
leb the  son  of 
J eph  unneh; 
he  shall  see 
it;  and  to  him 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

Num.  14  26Then 
Jehovah  said  to  Mo- 
ses and  Aaron, 27How 
long  shall  I bear  with 
this  evil  congrega- 
tion, that  murmurs 
against  me?  I have 
heard  the  murmur- 
ings  of  the  Israelites 
which  they  utter 
against  me.  28Say  to 
them,  ‘As  I live, 
saith  Jehovah,  exact- 
ly as  ye  have  spoken 
in  mine  ears,  so  will  I 
do  to  you : 29your 
dead  bodies  shall  fall 
in  this  wilderness; 
and  all  who  were 
numbered  of  you,  ac- 
cording to  your  whole 


§ 91  The  detailed  characteristics  of  the  different  strands,  as  illustrated  in  the  preceding 
sections,  reappear  in  Num.  141*-36.  The  priestly  version  is  a unit,  26-3(,  with  the  exception  of  31, 
■which  is  an  echo  of  the  Judean  passage  3,  and  82  • 13 , which  are  duplicates  of  so.  m.  35_^  The 
latter  part  of  33  has  apparently  been  revised  by  a later  editor.  Possibly  the  forty  years  is  also 
from  him.  The  long  section  ,J-24  probably  embodies  original  early  .Judean  material,  but  it  has 
been  expanded  with  a didactic  purpose.  The  language  shows  many  points  of  contact  with  the 
late  prophetic  and  priestly  parallels. 

The  unusually  full  Deuteronomie  parallel  reveals  dependence  upon  both  the  Judean  and 
Ephraimite  versions.  In  Dt.  135<  »,  e.  g.,  it  is  distinctly  stated  and  is  in  keeping  with  the  Judean, 
and  Num.  1424,  that  Caleb  alone  was  to  go  up  to  Canaan  and  that  the  title  to  the  land  which  he 
had  spied  out  should  be  assured  to  him  (ef.  Judg.  1,  § 114).  But  in  Dt.  I38,  following  the  Ephraim- 
ite, which  alone  of  the  prophetic  sources  mentions  Joshua,  that  hero  is  placed  on  the  list  of 
those  who  should  see  the  promised  land.  Dt.  I40  repeats  verbatim  the  command  in  Num.  142Sb, 
and  from  this  point  on  seems  to  follow  the  Ephraimite  very  closely.  The  sequel  of  26b  is  clearly 
»9b,  ■so_  The  phraseology  strongly  confirms  this  conclusion.  In  41-43  the  same  source  seems 
to  be  represented,  although  the  passage  may  possibly  be  from  the  Judean.  Vs.  25 » has  no 
obvious  connection  with  its  immediate  context.  It  appears  to  be  an  explanatory  note  intro- 
ductory to  the  story  in.4®-45. 

The  Judean  parallel  to  the  account  in  Num.  1440-45  of  an  abortive  attempt  to  enter  Canaan 
from  the  south  is  found  in  211-3.  The  passage  has  no  connection  with  its  context,  but  rather 
interrupts  the  account  of  the  journey  from  Kadesh  around  southern  Edom  to  the  east-Jordan 
territory,  § 97.  Like  1444,  211  records  a disaster  at  Hormah.  The  foes,  in  keeping  with  the 
peculiarities  of  the  Judean  source,  are  called  Canaanites.  Vss.  2-  3 bear  the  unmistakable 
marks  of  Deuteronomie  redaction.  Cf.  the  characteristic  idioms,  deliver  into  my  hand,  Dt.  I27, 
224,  30j  32_  724,  etc.,  and  devote  or  completely  destroy,  Dt.  2®*,  33,  72,  etc.  These  verses  may  well 
be  the  later  version  of  Judg.  I17,  according  to  which  the  tribes  of  Judah  and  Simeon  destroyed 
Zephath  and  called  it  Hormah.  The  awkward  introduction  of  the  king  of  Arad  and  Israel  in- 
stead of  the  -people  as  above  also  suggests  the  later  point  of  view. 

It  is  possible  that  in  the  original  Judean  narratives,  the  stories  connected  with  the  mission 
of  the  spies  were  intended  primarily  to  record  the  fact  that  the  Calabites,  unlike  most  of  the 
Heb.  tribes,  penetrated  Canaan  directly  from  the  south.  In  the  other  versions  they  aim  to  ex- 
plain why  the  Israelites  did  not  proceed  at  once  to  the  land  which  later  became  their  home. 

• Num.  1426  Lit.,  the  Shephelah,  lying  between  the  Judean  hills  and  the  Philistine  plains. 

219 


Jeho- 
vah’s 
condem- 
nation 
of  the 
Israel- 
ites 


Num.  1415'  40] 


LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 


[Dt.  I36,  Num.  1429 


Early  Judean 

15Now  if  thou  shalt  kill 
this  people  as  one  man, 
then  the  nations  which 
have  heard  the  fame  of 
thee  will  say, 161  Because 
Jehovah  was  not  able  to 
bring  this  people  into 
the  land  which  he  prom- 
ised to  them  with  an 
oath,  therefore  he  hath 
slain  them  in  the  wil- 
derness. ’ 17But  now,  I 
pray  thee,  let  the  power 
of  the  Lord  be  great, 
according  as  thou  hast 
spoken,  saying,  ^‘Jeho- 
vah is  slow  to  anger, 
and  abundant  in  loving- 
kindness, forgiving  in- 
iquity and  transgres- 
sion ; although  he  does 
not  leave  it  unpunished, 
visiting  the  iniquity  of 
the  fathers  upon  the 
children,  upon  the  third 
and  fourth  generation.  ’ 
19Pardon , I pray  thee , the 
iniquity  of  this  people 
according  to  thy  great 
loving-kindness,  and  ac- 
cordingasthouhast  for- 
given this  people,  from 
Egypt  even  until  now. 

20Jehovah  said,  I 
have  pardoned  accord- 
ing to  thy  word  ; 21but 
as  surely  *as  I live, 
and  as  surely  as  the 
whole  earth  shall  be 
filled  with  the  glory  of 
Jehovah,  22of  all  the 
men  who  have  seen  my 
glory  and  my  signs 
which  I performed  in 
Egypt  and  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  yet  have 
tempted  me  these  ten 
times,  and  have  not 
hearkened  to  my  voice, 
23not  one  shall  see  the 
land  which  I promised 
to  their  fathers  with  an 
oath,  neither  shall  any 
of  those  who  despised 
me  see  it ; 2ibut  my  ser- 
vant Caleb,  because  he 
had  another  spirit  in 
him,  and  hath  followed 
me  unreservedly,  him 
will  I bring  into  the  land 
to  which  he  went,  and 
his  descendants  shall 
possess  it. 


Early 

Ephraimite 
saying,  Lo,  we 
are  here  and 
will  go  up  to 
the  place 
which  Jeho- 
v a h hath 
promised,  for 
we  have 
sinned.  41Bu 
Moses  said, 
Why  now  will 
you  transgress 
the  command 
o f Jehovah, 
for  that  can- 
n o t bring 
prosperity  ? 
42Do  not  go 
up,  for  Jeho- 
vah is  not 
among  you,  to 
keep  you  from 
being  smitten 
down  before 
your  enemies. 
43For  there 
the  Amalek- 
ites  and  the 
Canaanitesx  are 
before  you, 
and  you  shall 
fall  by  the 
sword;  be- 
cause you 
have  turned 
back  from  fol- 
lowing Jeho- 
vah therefore 
Jehovah  will 
not  be  with 
you. 


Late 

Prophetic 
I will  give  the 
land  that  he 
hath  trodden 
upon,  and  to 
h i s children 
because  he 
has  fully 
followed  Je- 
hovah.’ 37  Also 
Jehovah  was 
an gry  with 
me  for  your 
sakes,  saying, 
‘Thou  also 
shalt  not  go  in 
there;  ^Josh- 
ua the  son  of 
Nun,  who 
standeth  be- 
fore thee,  he 
shall  go  i n 
thither;  en- 
courage him, 
for  he  shall 
cause  Israel 
to  inherit  it. 
39M  o r e o ver 
your  little 
ones,  that  ye 
said  should 
be  a prey, 
and  your 
children  who 
this  day  have 
no  knowledge 
of  good  and 
evil,  they  shall 
go  in  thither, 
and  to  them  I 
will  give  it, 
and  they  shall 
possess  it. 
40But  do  ye 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

number,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  up- 
ward, who  have  mur- 
mured against  me. 
30Assuredly  ye  shall 
not  come  into  the 
land,  concerning 
which  I promised 
with  an  oath  that  I 
would  settleyou  there- 
in, except  Caleb  the 
son  of  Jephunneh, 
and  Joshua  the  son 
of  Nun.  34 Accord- 
ing to  the  number  of 
the  days  in  which  ye 
spied  out  the  land, 
even  forty  days,  for 
every  day  a year,  shall 
ye  bear  your  iniqui- 
ties, even  forty  years, 
and  ye  shall  know 
how  I am  estranged 
from  you.*  35I  Jeho- 
vah have  spoken, 
surely  this  will  I do 
to  all  this  evil  con- 
gregation, that  are 
gathered  together 
against  me;  in  this 
wilderness  they  shall 
be  destroyed,  and 
there  shall  they  die.’ 
36  And  the  men  whom 
Moses  sent  to  spy  out 
the  land,  who  return- 
ed and  made  all  the 
congregation  m u r - 
mur  against  him  by 
bringing  up  a bad  re- 
port against  the  land, 
37even  those  men  who 
brought  up  a bad  re- 


4 Num.  1 4s4  Heb.  is  doubtful.  Gk wrath  of  my  anger. 
220 


Num.  1431-  44]  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  PEOPLE  [Dt.  14°,  Num.  1437 


Early  Judean 
31But  your  little 
ones,  that  ye  said 
should  be  a prey, 
them  will  I bring  in, 
and  they  shall  know 
the  land  which  ye 
have  rejected.  32But 
asforyou  your  dead 
bodies  shall  fall  in 
this  wilderness. 
33 And  your  children 
shall  be  wanderers11 
in  the  wilderness 
forty  years,  and  shall 
suffer  for  your  acts  of 
apostasy  until  your 
dead  bodies  be  con- 
sumed in  the  wilderness. 

Num.  21 *  1 No w 
when  the  Canaan- 
itish  king  of  Arad, 
who  dwelt  in  the 
South  Country, 
heard  that  Israel  had 
comev  by  the  way  of 
Atharim,w  he  fought 
against  Israel,  and 
took  some  of  them 
captive.  2Then  Israel 
made  a vow  to  Jehovah, 
and  said,  If  thou  wilt 
indeed  deliver  this  peo- 

fle  into  my  power,  then 
will  devote  their  cities 
to  destruction.  3And 
Jehovah  hearkened  to 
the  voice  of  Israel,  and 
delivered  up  the  Ca- 
naanites,  and  they  de- 
voted them  and  their 
cities  to  destruction. 
Heuce  the  name  of  the 
place  was  called  Hor- 
mah  [Devoted  to  de- 
struction]. 


Ephraimite 


Late 

Prophetic 
turn  and 
march  into 
the  wilderness 
by  the  way 
leading  to  the 
Red  Sea.’ 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

port  of  the  land,  died 
by  the  plague  before 
Jehovah.  38But  Josh- 
ua the  son  of  Nun, 
and  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh,  remained 
alive  of  those  men 
who  went  to  spy  out 
the  land. 

39aAnd  Moses  told 
these  words  to  all  the 
Israelites. 


44But  they 
presumed  to 
go  up  to  t h e 
top  of  the 
mountain; 
neither  the  ark 
of  the  cove- 
nant of  Jeho- 
vah, nor  Mo- 
ses, however, 
went out of  the 
camp.  45Then 
the  Amalek- 
ites  and  the 
Canaanitesxwho 
dwelt  in  that 
mountain, 
came  down 
and  defeated 
them  and 
strewed  the 
way  with  their 
slain,  even  to 
Hormah. 


41Then  you  answered  me,  ‘We  Their 
have  sinned  against  Jehovah,  we  will  at  Hor 
go  up  and  fight,  just  as  Jehovah  our  mah 
God  commanded  us.’  And  every 
man  of  you  girded  on  his  weapons 
of  war,  and  you  were  about  to  go  up 
into  the  hill-country,  42when  Jehovah 
said  to  me,  ‘Say  to  them,  “Do  not  go 
up,  nor  fight ; for  I am  not  among  you ; 
lest  ye  be  defeated  before  your  ene- 
mies.” ’ 43Thus  I spoke  to  you,  but 
you  did  not  hearken;  you  rebelled 
against  the  command  of  Jehovah,  and 
were  presumptuous,  and  went  up 
into  the  hill-country.  44Then  the 
Amorites  who  dwelt  in  that  hill- 
country  came  out  against  you  and 
pursued  like  bees,  and  left  your  slain 
in  Seir,  even  to  Hormah.  45And 
when  you  returned  and  wept  before 
Jehovah,  Jehovah  did  not  hearken  to 
your  voice,  nor  give  ear  to  you. 

46So  you  remained  in  Kadesh. 


" Num.  14*  Heb.  and  Syr.  lit.,  shepherds. 

v Num.  211  Cf.  Num.  33®,  a later  duplicate;  And  the  Canadnites,  the  king  o/  Arad,  who  dwelt 
in  the  south  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  heard  of  the  coming  of  the  Israelites. 

" Num.  211  Syr.,  Sam.,  Lat.,  Aquila,  and  Symm.,  the  way  of  the  spies.  Gk.,  however,  sup- 
ports the  Heb.,  and  other  versions  probably  were  misled  by  the  similarity  of  the  word  for  spy. 

1 Num.  1443  - 45  Canaanites  seems  to  have  been  an  editorial  addition  from  the  Judean  parallel 

which  speaks  only  of  the  Canaanites,  21'>  3 In  the  Ephraimite  narratives  the  Canaanites  are 
described  as  dwellers  on  the  plains.  Cf.  1329,  § 90. 


221 


Num.  16lb] 


LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 


Mutiny 
of  Da- 
than 
and 

Abiram 


Moses’s 

protest 

and 

warning 


His  ap- 
peal to 
Jehovah 
for  a di- 
vine de- 
cision 


§ 92.  Destruction  of  the  Rebels  Dathan  and  Abiram, 

Num.  16lb’  2a>  12’  13~15’  25’ 26'  27b-3u,  32a>  33a>  ■>, 34,  Dt.  II5-7 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Num.  16  lbThen  Dathan  and  Abiram  the  sons  of  Eliab  the  son  of  Pallu, 
son  of  Reuben,  took  men,  2aand  rose  up  before  Moses.  12And  Moses  sent 
to  summon  Dathan  and  Abiram  the  sons  of  Eliab;  but  they  said,  We  will  not 
come  up;  13is  it  a small  thing  that  you  have  brought  us  up  out  of  a land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  to  kill  us  in  the  wilderness,  but  you  must  even 
make  yourself  a prince  over  us?  14Moreover  you  have  not  brought  us  into 
a land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  nor  given  us  possession  of  the  fields  and  vine- 
yards; will  you  throw  dust  in  oury  eyes?2  we  will  not  come  up. 

15Then  Moses  was  very  angry  and  said  to  Jehovah,  Do  not  respect  their 
offering;  I have  not  taken  a single  ass  from  them,  neither  have  I hurt  one  of 
them.  25 And  Moses  rose  up  and  went  to  Dathan  and  Abiram,  and  the  elders 
of  Israel  followed  him.  26 And  he  said  to  the  congregation,  Depart,  I pray  you, 
from  the  tents  of  these  wicked  men,  and  touch  nothing  of  theirs,  lest  you 
be  swept  away  in  all  their  sins.  27bAnd  Dathan  and  Abiram  came  out,  and 
stood  at  the  door  of  their  tents  with  their  wives  and  sons  and  little  ones. 

28Then  Moses  said,  By  this  you  shall  know  that  Jehovah  hath  sent  me  to 
do  all  these  works;  that  it  was  not  of  mine  own  choice.  29If  these  men  die  the 
common  death  of  men,  or  if  they  share  the  usual  fate  of  men,  then  Jehovah 


§ 92  The  narratives  furnish  little  information  regarding  the  traditional  forty  years  of 
wandering  in  the  wilderness.  Among  a people  condemned  to  a life  in  striking  contrast  with  what 
they  had  hoped  at  once  to  enjoy  in  Canaan,  mutinies  were  to  be  anticipated.  Two,  and  possibly 
four,  are  recorded  in  Num.  16.  That  the  chapter  is  composite  is  evident.  Duplicates  abound. 
Cf. 6 and  17 ; 24  and26;  31  and 32a>  ^b.  In32.  33  it  is  stated  that  the  earth  opened  and  swallowed  up  the 
rebels  so  that  all  went  down  to  the  pit  and  the  earth  closed  upon  them,  and  then  in  35  it  is  recorded 
that  fire  came  forth  from  heaven  and  devoured  them.  The  sudden  transitions  from  the  lan- 
guage and  ideas  of  the  prophetic  to  those  of  the  priestly  also  facilitate  the  analysis.  Later 
references  indicate  that  there  was  a priestly  story  in  which  Korah  and  his  associates  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  This  can  be  clearly  distinguished  in  16.  Cf.  § 94.  The  Deuteronomic  par- 
allel, however,  knows  nothing  of  this  priestly  story  of  Korah,  and  reproduces  briefly,  but  in 
almost  the  same  language,  the  stoiy  of  Dathan  and  Abiram.  This  departs  widely  from  the 
Korah  tradition.  The  mutiny  is  directed  against  the  secular  authority  of  Moses,  not  against 
the  priestly  leadership  of  Moses  and  Aaron.  The  leaders  and  apparently  the  occasion  are 
entirely  distinct.  The  method  of  punishment  is  also  strikingly  different.  Cf.  K>  33  and  35. 
Really  the  only  point  of  contact  is  that  the  authority  of  Moses  is  in  each  case  disregarded.  The 
close  amalgamation  of  two  so  fundamentally  distinct  traditions  is  almost  without  parallel  in 
the  O.T. 

The  prophetic  tradition  itself  is  either  composite  or  else  has  been  expanded  by  additions 
drawn  from  another  source.  The  linguistic  and  other  characteristics  indicate  that  most  of  it  is 
from  the  Judean  source.  This  is  true  of  13'  26b.  z?c-3i,  &*.  Vs.  ub,  however,  seems  to  be  an 

Ephraimite  duplicate  of  14a,  3211  of  31,  and  ^b-  34  the  natural  sequel  of  32a.  It  is  the  language  of 
these  Ephraimite  fragments  which  is  reproduced  in  the  Deuteronomic  parallel. 

The  opening  verse  also  presents  difficulties.  Bacon  has  brilliantly  developed  the  suggestion 
that  the  priestly  story  of  Korah’s  mutiny  was  derived  from  the  Judean  source  which  originally 
read,  Now  Korah  the  son  of  Kenaz  and  On  the  son  of  Pelath,  men  of  renown , took  an  offering  for 
Jehovah,  etc.  (Exodus,  304).  It  is  argued  that  their  sins  consisted  in  disputing  with  Moses  the 
right  to  offer  sacrifices  in  behalf  of  the  people.  This,  however,  assumes  an  idea  which  is  con- 
trary to  the  teaching  of  the  Judean  narratives  and  which  certainly  is  not  prominent  in  the  present 
context.  Num.  268,  which  is  modelled  after  16,  makes  Dathan  and  Abiram  the  sons  of  Eliab  the 
son  of  Pallu  the  son  of  Reuben.  This  probably  represents  the  original  text  of  161,  for  Pallu  (and 
never  Eliab,  except  in  Dt.  II6)  is  always  represented  as  the  son  of  Reuben,  e.  g..  Ex.  614.  On,  the 
son  of  Pelath,  which  is  found  in  the  Heb.,  is  nowhere  else  mentioned  in  the  subsequent  context 
of  16  or  in  the  O.T.  The  omission  in  Dt.  II6  confirms  the  conclusion  that  it  is  a scribal  error 
for  son  of  Pallu. 

y Num.  1614  Heb.,  of  these  men;  but  Syr.  and  Lat.  has  our,  which  is  demanded  by  the  con- 
text. 

* Num.  1614  Heb.  lit.,  bore  out.  So  Judg.  1621;  but  the  meaning  here  seems  to  be  better 
expressed  by  the  idiom  given  above. 


222 


DATHAN  AND  ABIRAM 


[Num.  1629 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

hath  not  sent  me.  30But  if  Jehovah  does  something  unprecedented221  and 
the  ground  opens  its  mouth,  and  swallows  them  up,  with  all  that  belongs  to 


them,  and  they  go  down  alive  to  Sheol, 
men  have  despised  Jehovah. 

31And  it  came  to  pass  as  he  fin- 
ished speaking  all  these  words,  that 
the  ground  which  was  under  them 
was  cleft,  32aand  the  earth  opened  its 
mouth,  and  swallowed  them  up,  with  their 
households.  33a>  bSo  they  and  all  that 
belonged  to  them,  went  down  alive 
into  Sheol;  and  the  earth  closed  upon 
them.  34And  all  the  Israelites  who  were 
round  about  them  fled  at  their  cry  ; for  they 
said,  Lest  the  earth  swallow  us  up. 


then  you  shall  understand  that  these 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Dt.  11  6You  know  what  Jehovah 
did  to  Dathan  and  Abiram,  the  sons 
of  Eliab,  the  son  of  Reuben;  how 
the  earth  opened  its  mouth  and 
swallowed  them  up  with  their  house- 
holds and  their  tents  and  every  living 
thing  that  followed  them  in  the  midst 
of  all  Israel ; 7for  your  eyes  have  seen 
all  the  great  work  which  Jehovah  did. 


Judg- 
ment 
upon  the 
rebels 


§ 93.  Divine  Confirmation  of  the  Prerogatives  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood, 
Num.  16la>  Jb-U.  16-2<,  27  , 32b,  33c,  35-50  ] ■J  ] gl-7 


Late  Priestly 

Num.  16  laNow  Korah  2bwith  certain  of  the 
Israelites,  two  hundred  and  fifty  princes  of 
the  congregation,  those  who  were  called  to  the 
assembly,  men  of  repute,  3came  together  against 
Moses  and  Aaron,  and  said  to  them,  You  take 
too  much  upon  you,  for  every  man  in  the  entire 
congregation  is  holy,  and  Jehovah  is  among 
them.  Why  then  do  you  exalt  yourselves  above 
the  assembly  of  Jehovah  ? 

4And  when  Moses 
heard  it,  he  fell  upon  his 
face;  5and  he  said  to  Ko- 


V ery  Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

16  laNow  Korah  the 
son  of  Izhar,  the  son  of 
Kohath,  the  son  of  Levi, 
with  his  kinsmen  mur- 
mured against  Moses  and 
Aaron,  saying,  7bYou  take 
too  much  upon  your- 
selves, O sons  of  Levi. 
8Then  Moses  said  to  Korah,  Hear  now,  O sons 
of  Levi ; 9is  it  too  little  for  you,  that  the  God  of 
Israel  hath  separated  you  from  the  congregation 


Protest 

against 

the 

priestly 

preroga- 

tives 


Moses’s 
proposal 
to  ap- 
peal to 
Jehovah 


Num.  1630  Heb.,  creates  a creation. 

§ 93  The  prophetic  account  of  the  revolt  of  Dathan  and  Abiram  has  already  been  dis- 
tinguished, § 92.  The  remainder  of  16,  however,  is  not  a unit,  although  it  is  all  from  the  late 
priestly  school  of  writers.  The  older  traditions  represent  Korah,  at  the  head  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  princes  of  the  congregation,  as  protesting  against  the  limitation  of  the  priestly  rights 
to  the  tribe  of  Levi,  claiming  that  all  the  congregation  are  holy,  3.  The  fact  that  the  Manassites 
later  disclaim  any  connection  with  the  revolt  of  Korah,  Num.  273,  and  the  description  of  the 
princes,  indicate  that  the  rebels  were  not  all  I.evites.  Korah  is  apparently  identified  with  the 
son  of  Caleb  and  therefore  connected  with  the  tribe  of  Judah,  I Chrs.  243,  Judg.  I13. 

To  the  older  priestly  tradition  has  been  added  another,  associated  with  Korah  the  son  of 
Levi.  Cf.  Ex.  621'  24, 1 Chrs.  fi2-.  919.  He  and  his  followers  are  all  I.evites,  '*•  10 , and  their  sin  is 

that  they  claim  equally  with  the  sons  of  Aaron  (the  regular  post-exilic  priesthood)  the  right  to 
perform  the  priestly  duties.  The  analysis  is  comparatively  simple.  The  test  in  both  versions 
is  the  presentation  of  an  incense  offering.  Cf.  6-7  and  l7.  The  punishment  was  also  very  simi- 
lar. Cf.  32 b and  35.  Possibly  the  very  late  writer,  who  was  acquainted  with  the  guilds  of  temple 
singers,  the  sons  of  Korah,  and  who  added  in  261’  the  statement  that  the  sons  of  Korah  did  not 
perish  with  Korah  and  his  company,  revised  the  account  of  the  fate  of  the  rebellious  Levites  so 
that  only  a fragment  remains.  Otherwise  the  supplemental  additions  make  it  possible  to  re- 
construct with  comparative  fulness  the  secondary  version  of  the  tradition. 

Both  versions  were  intended  to  establish  the  exclusive  rights  of  the  Aaronic  (Jerusalem) 
priesthood.  Cf.  especially  40.  Further  miraculous  confirmation  of  its  divine  right  is  found  in 
the  tradition  of  the  budding  of  Aaron’s  rod  in  17.  These  stories  in  turn  form  the  introduction 
to  the  account  of  the  appointment  and  definition  of  the  respective  duties  of  the  priests  and  the 
Levites  in  18. 


223 


The 
sweep- 
ing 
judg- 
ment 
upon  the 
protest- 
ers and 
the  vin- 
dication 
of  the 
priests 


Num.  165] 


LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS  [Num.  169 


Late  Priestly 
rail  and  all  his  company, 
In  the  morning  Jehovah 
will  show  who  are  his,  and 
whoever  is  holy  he  will 
bring  near  to  him;  even 
him  whom  he  shall  choose 
will  he  bring  near  to  him. 
6This  do,  take  censers, 

Korah  and  all  his  company; 
7aand  put  fire  in  them, 
and  put  incense  upon 
them  before  Jehovah  to- 
morrow; and  the  man 
whom  Jehovah  doth 
choose,  he  is  holy. 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 
of  Israel  to  bring  you  near  to  himself  to  perform 
the  service  of  the  dwelling  of  Jehovah,  and  to 
stand  before  the  congregation  to  minister  to 
them,  10and  that  he  hath  brought  thee  near,  and 
all  thy  brethren,  the  sons  of  Levi,  with  thee?  that 
now  you  are  seeking  the  priesthood  also!  nThere- 
fore  you  and  all  your  company  are  gathered  to- 
gether against  Jehovah!  for  Aaron,  what  is  he 
that  you  murmur  against  him?  16And  Moses 
said  to  Korah,  Appear  with  all  your  company 
before  Jehovah,  you  and  they,  and  Aaron,  to- 
morrow, 17and  let  each  man  take  his  censer,  and 
put  incense  upon  it,  and  let  each  man  bring 
his  censer  before  Jehovah,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
censers;  you  also,  and  Aaron,  each  his  censer. 


19So  Korah  assembled  all  the  congregation 
against  them  at  the  door  of  the  tent  of  meeting; 
and  the  glory  of  Jehovah  appeared  to  all  the  con- 
gregation. 20And  Jehovah  said  to  Moses  and 
Aaron,  21Separate  yourselves  from  among  this 
congregation,  that  I may  consume  them  in  a 
moment.  22 And  they  fell  upon  their  faces,  and 
said,  O God,  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh, 
shall  one  man  sin,  and  wilt  thou  be  angry  with 
all  the  congregation?  23 And  Jehovah  said  to 
Moses,  24Say  to  the  congregation,  ‘Go  up  from 
about  the  dwelling3,  (of  Korah,  Dathan  and  Abiram). 
27aSo  they  went  up  from  the  dwelling3,  (of  Korah, 
Dathan,  and  Abiram)  on  every  side.  35And  fire 
came  forth  from  Jehovah,  and  devoured  the 
two  hundred  and  fifty  men  who  offered  the  in- 
cense. 41But  the  next  day  all  the  congregation 
of  the  Israelites  murmured  against  Moses  and 
Aaron,  saying,  You  have  killed  the  people 
of  Jehovah.  42And  just  when  the  congregation 
was  assembled  against  Moses  and  against  Aaron, 
they  looked  toward  the  tent  of  meeting,  and, 
behold,  the  cloud  covered  it,  and  the  glory  of  Je- 
hovah appeared.  43Then  Moses  and  Aaron 
came  to  the  front  of  the  tent  of  meeting,  44and 
Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  45Retire  from  the  midst 
of  this  congregation,  that  I may  consume  them 


18So  each  man  took  his 
censer,  and  put  fire  in  it, 
and  laid  incense  on  it  and 
stood  at  the  door  of  the 
tent  of  meeting  with  Mo- 
ses and  Aaron.  32bThen 
Jehovah  destroyed  with 
fire  all  the  men  who  be- 
longed to  Korah,  and  all 
their  goods,  33cand  they 
perished  from  among  the 
assembly.  36 And  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  ^Com- 
mand Eleazar  the  son  of 
Aaron  the  priest  to  take 
up  the  censers  out  of  the 
burning,  and  scatter  the 
fire  yonder;  38for  the 
censers  of  those  who 
sinned  at  the  cost  of  their 
lives'3  have  become  holy. 
Make  them  beaten  plates 
for  a covering  of  the 
altar;  for  they  offered 
them  before  Jehovah, 
therefore  they  have  be- 
come holy;  and  they  shall 


“ 1624-  27  Elsewhere  in  the  priestly  writers  the  dwelling  is  equivalent  to  the  prophetic  tent  of 
meeting.  The  proper  names  were  clearly  added  by  a later  hand  to  harmonize  the  two  distinct 
narratives. 

b Kjvb,  38  g0  gyr_  anc]  certain  Gk,  MSS.  The  Heb.  text  is  confused. 

224 


Num.  1645]  THE  AARONIC  PRIESTHOOD  [Num.  1638 

Late  Priestly 

in  a moment.  And  they  fell  upon  their  faces. 

46 And  Moses  said  to  Aaron,  Take  your  censer 
and  put  fire  in  it  from  off  the  altar,  and  lay 
incense  on  it  and  carry  it  quickly  to  the  con- 
gregation, and  make  propitiation  for  them;  for 
wrath  has  gone  out  from  Jehovah;  the  plague 
has  begun.  47Then  Aaron  took,  as  Moses  said, 
and  ran  into  the  midst  of  the  assembly;  and, 
behold,  the  plague  had  begun  among  the  people; 
and  he  put  on  the  incense,  and  made  propitia- 
tion for  the  people.  48And  he  stood  between 
the  dead  and  the  living,  and  the  plague  was 
stayed.  49Now  those  who  died  by  the  plague 
were  fourteen  thousand  seven  hundred,  besides 
those  who  died  in  the  affair  of  Ivorah.  50Then 
Aaron  returned  to  Moses  at  the  door  of  the  tent 
of  meeting,  when  the  plague  had  been  stayed. 

Num.  17 1 And  Jehovah  commanded  Moses,  saying,  2Speak  to  the  Israelites, 
and  take  from  them,  one  staff  for  each  father’s  house,  from  all  the  princes 
of  their  fathers’  houses,  twelve  staves.  Write  each  man’s  name  upon  his 
staff.  3And  thou  shalt  write  Aaron’s  name  upon  the  staff  of  Levi,  for  there 
is  one  staff  for  the  head  of  their  fathers’  houses.  4And  thou  shalt  deposit 
them  in  the  tent  of  meeting  before  the  testimony,  where  I am  wont  to  meet 
you.  5And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  the  staff  of  the  man  whom  I choose 
shall  bud.  Thus  I will  still  the  murmurings  of  the  Israelites,  which  they 
utter  against  you.  6So  Moses  commanded  the  Israelites,  and  all  their  princes 
gave  him  staves,  for  each  prince,  one,  according  to  their  fathers’  houses, 
twelve  staves;  and  the  staff  of  Aaron  was  among  their  staves.  7Then  Moses 
laid  the  staves  before  Jehovah  in  the  tent  of  the  testimony. 

8And  the  next  day  when  Moses  went  into  the  tent  of  the  testimony,  behold, 
the  staff  of  Aaron  of  the  house  of  Levi  had  bloomed,  and  put  forth  buds,  and 
produced  blossoms,  and  was  bearing  ripe  almonds.  9And  Moses  brought  out 
all  the  staves  from  before  Jehovah  to  all  the  Israelites,  and  they  looked,  and 
each  man  took  his  staff.  10Then  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Put  back  the  staff 
of  Aaron  before  the  testimony,  to  be  kept  for  a token  against  the  rebels;  that 
thou  mayest  put  an  end  to  their  murmurings  against  me,  that  they  may  not 
die.  nThus  Moses  did;  as  Jehovah  commanded  him,  so  he  did. 

12Then  the  Israelites  said  to  Moses,  Behold,  we  perish,  we  are  ruined,  we 
are  all  ruined!  13Everyone  who  comes  near,  who  comes  near  to  the  dwell- 
ing of  Jehovah  dies.  Shall  we  ever  cease  dying  ? 

18  *And  Jehovah  said  to  Aaron,  Thou  and  thy  sons  and  thy  fathers’  house 
with  thee  shall  bear  the  consequences  of  the  iniquity  committed  in  the 
sanctuary;0  and  thou  and  thy  sons  with  thee  shall  bear  the  consequences  of 

• 181  Heb.,  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  sanctuary.  The  expression  is  apparently  a technical 
priestly  idiom  and  must  be  expanded  to  be  intelligible.  Cf.,  e.  g.,  I50. 

225 


Very  Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

be  a sign  to  the  Israelites. 
39So  Eleazar  the  priest 
took  the  brazen  censers 
which  they  who  burned 
had  offered  and  they  beat 
them  out  for  a covering 
of  the  altar,  40to  be  a me- 
morial to  the  Israelites,  in 
order  that  no  stranger,  who 
is  not  of  the  descendants 
of  Aaron  should  come  near 
to  burn  incense  before  Je- 
hovah, lest  he  be  as  Ko- 
rah  and  his  company,  even 
as  Jehovah  spoke  to  him 
through  Moses. 


Vindica* 
tion  of 
the  su- 
periority 
of  the 
tribe  of 
Levi 


Duties 
of  the 
Levites 


Of  the 

Aaronic 

priests 


Refusal 
of  the 
Edomite 
kin"  to 
allow 
the  Is- 
raelites a 
passage 


Ndm.  181]  LIFE  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

the  iniquity  committed  in  the  exercise  of  your  priestly  office.  2And  thy 
kinsmen  also,  the  tribe  of  Levi,  the  tribe  of  thy  father,  bring  near  with  thee, 
that  they  may  be  associated*1  with  thee,  and  minister  to  thee,  while  thou  and 
thy  sons  with  thee  are  before  the  tent  of  the  testimony.  3And  they  shall 
obey  thy  orders,  and  have  the  care  of  all  the  tent;  only  they  shall  not  come 
near  to  the  vessels  of  the  sanctuary  and  the  altar,  that  they  die  not,  neither 
they,  nor  ye.  4 And  they  shall  be  associated  with  thee,  and  have  charge  of 
the  tent  of  meeting,  to  perform  all  the  service  of  the  tent,  for  no  layman 
shall  come  near  you. 

5And  ye  shall  have  charge  of  the  sanctuary  and  the  altar,  that  wrath  may 
no  more  come  upon  the  Israelites  there.  6And  I,  behold,  I have  taken  your 
kinsmen  the  Levites  from  among  the  Israelites;  they  are  a gift  to  you,  given 
to  Jehovah,  to  perform  the  service  of  the  tent  of  meeting.  7But  thou  and  thy 
sons  with  thee  shall  limit  the  duties  of  your  priestly  office  to  every  thing  about 
the  altar,  and  to  that  which  is  within  the  veil;  thus  ye  shall  serve;  the  service 
is  a gift  which  I have  bestowed  on  the  priesthood  ;e  and  the  layman  who 
comes  near  shall  be  put  to  death. 


Ill 


FROM  KADESII  TO  THE  JORDAN,  Num.  20,  214-2665,  2712 *'23, 
31,  32,  3318-48,  34,  Dt.  2,  3,  106'7,  3114-15 * *-23,  3248-52,  34 


94.  Journey  from  the  Wilderness,  Num.  2014_22a,  21ib“9,  331®-37,  Dt.  21"*8 


Early  Judean 

Num.  2 0 
19T  hen  the 
I srae 1 i t e s 
said  to  him. 


Ephraimite 

Num.  20 

14Then  Moses 
sent  messengers 
from  Kadesh  to 


Late  Prophetic 

Dt.  2 JThen  w e 
turned  and  journeyed 
into  the  wilderness  by 
the  way  leading  to  the 


Late  Priestly 
Narratives 


Num.  33  Stapes 
18Then  they  tour-  oft“? 
neyed  from  Haze-  marc 
roth  and  encamped 


8 182  The  Heb.  word  weyillavu  is  a play  on  the  word  Levi. 

e 187  Heb.,  as  a service  of  gift  I give  your  priesthood.  The  expression  is  strange  and  the 

meaning  obscure.  The  above  reading  is  substantially  that,  of  the  Gk.,  Syr.,  and  Targums. 

From  Kadesh  to  the  Jordan. — Each  of  the  four  groups  of  narratives  record  the  march 
from  the  wilderness  to  the  east-Jordan,  where  the  Hebrews  gain  their  first  permanent  foot- 

hold in  the  promised  land,  and  from  which  they  advance  to  the  conquest  of  Canaan.  The 

prophetic  sources  recount  certain  incidents  in  the  march  of  which  the  prophecy  of  Balaam  is 

the  most  important.  Very  late  priestly  writers  also  introduce  into  the  closing  years  of  Moses’s 

life  the  incidents  recorded  in  Num.  26-34,  the  legalistic  purpose  of  which  is  clearly  apparent. 

The  duration  of  the  period  is  not  definitely  stated.  The  implication  is  that  it  is  limited  to  a 

few  months;  the  probabilities  are  that  it  included  many  years,  during  which  the  Hebrews  had  an 

opportunity  to  acquire  not  only  land  but  also  the  knowledge  of  agriculture  and  the  arts  of  war,  so 

that  when  their  increased  numbers  forced  them  to  seek  new  territory,  they  were  able  to  cope 
with  the  new  problems. 

§ 94  Num.  2014_22“  contains  what  seem  to  be  two  distinct  accounts  of  the  application  of  the 

Israelites  and  Edom’s  refusal  to  let  them  pass  through  its  territory.  In  I4-18.  2w  22:1  the  Hebrews 
are  at  Kadesh,  where  they  remain  until  Edom ’s  refusal  to  Moses ’s  application  is  received ; but  in 
the  other  parallel, 19-  2°.  21b,  t he  Israelites  themselves  are  the  applicants  and  they  seem  to  be  on  the 
march, 21b,  and  are  met  with  an  armed  resistance.  The  expression  strong  force  (lit.,  hand  in 20 * *)  is 
characteristic  of  the  Judean  source.  Cf.  Ex.  6*.  The  use  of  the  singular  pronoun  of  the  nation 

and  the  reference  to  the  cattle  of  the  Israelites  in  19  tend  to  establish  the  classification.  In 

u-i8,  2ia,  22a  the  linguistic  indications  of  Ephraimite  origin  are  many  and  the  Messenger  of  Je- 

226 


Num.  2019’  14]  JOURNEY  FROM  WILDERNESS  [Dt.  21,  Num.  3318 


Early  J udean 

[the  king  of 
Edom],  w e 
will  go  up  by 
the  main 
highway  ; 
and  if  Ia 
drink  of 
your  water, 
I and  my 
cattle,  then 
I w i 1 1 pay 
the  price  of 
it.  Only — 
since  it  is 
nothing  — I 
would  like 
quietly*5  t o 
passthrough. 
20  B u t he 
said,  You 
shall  not 
passthrough. 
Therefore 
Edom  came 
out  against 
him  with  a 
mighty  host 
and  a strong 
force.  21bSo 
Israel  turned 
away  from 
him.  . . . 


Ephraimite 

the  king  o f 
Edom,  Thus 
says  your  kins- 
man Israel,  You 
know  all  the 
hardship  that 
has  befallen  us: 
15how  our  fa- 
thers went  down 
into  Egypt  and 
w e lived  i n 
Egypt  along 
time;  and  the 
Egyptians  treat- 
ed us  and  our 
fathers  badly; 
16but  when  we 
cried  to  Jeho- 
vah, he  heard 
our  voice  and 
sent  a Messen- 
ger and  brought 
us  out  of  Egypt ; 
now  we  are  in 
Kadesh  a city 
on  the  frontier  of 
your  territory. 
17P ray  let  us 
pass  through 
your  land.  We 
will  not  pass 
through  field  or 
vineyard,  neither 
will  we  drink  of 
the  water  of  the 
wells;  we  will  go 


Late  Prophetic 

Red  Sea,  as  Jehovah 
commanded  me;  and 
we  compassed  Mount 
Seir  many  days.  2Then 
Jehovah  commanded 
me  saying,  3‘Ye  have 
compassed  this  moun- 
tain long  enough;  turn 
northward.  4Also  com- 
mand the  people,  say- 
ing, Ye  are  to  pass 
through  the  territory 
of  your  kinsmen  the 
children  of  Esau,  who 
dwell  in  Seir,  and 
they  will  be  afraid  of 
you.  So  be  carefully 
on  your  guard;  5do 
not  contend  with  them, 
for  I will  not  give  you 
any  of  their  land,  no, 
not  so  much  as  for  the 
sole  of  the  foot  to  tread 
on;  because  I have 
given  Mount  Seir  to 
Esau  for  a possession. 
6Ye  shall  purchase  food 
of  them  for  money, 
that  ye  may  eat,  and 
ye  shall  also  buy  water 
of  them  for  money, 
that  ye  may  drink.  7For 
Jehovah  thy  God  hath 
blessed  thee  in  all  the 
work  of  thy  hand;  he 
hath  known  thy  jour- 


Late  Priestly 
Narratives 

in  Rit.hmali.  19And 
they  journeyed 
from  Rithmah  and 
encamped  in  Rim- 
mon-perez.  20And 
they  journeyed 
from  Rimmon-pe- 
rez  and  encamped 
in  Libnah.  2'And 
they  journeyed 
from  Libnah  and 
encamped  in  Ria- 
sah.  22And  they 
journeyed  from 
R i s a a h and  en- 
camped in  Kehe- 
lathah.  23And  they 
journeyed  from  Ke- 
helathah  and  en- 
camped in  Mount 
S h e p h e r . 24And 
they  journeyed 
from  Mount  She- 
pher  and  encamped 
in  Haradah.  25 And 
they  journeyed 
from  Haradah  and 
encamped  in  Mak- 
heloth.  26 And  they 
journeyed  from 
Makheloth  and  en- 
camped in  Tahath. 
27  And  they  jour- 
neyed from  Tahath 
and  encamped  in 
Terah.  28 And  they 
journeyed  from  Te- 
rah and  encamped 
in  Mithkah.  29And 
they  journeyed 
from  Mithkah  and 
encamped  in  Hash- 
monah.  30 And  they 
journeyed  from 
Hashmonah  and 
encamped  in  Mose- 
roth.  ;1lAnd  they 
journeyed  from 
Moseroth  and  en- 
camped in  Bene- 


hovah  is  referred  to  as  the  one  who  led  the  Israelites  from  Egypt.  Cf.  Ex.  1419,  2320.  The 
original  sequel  to  this  narrative  is  found  in  214b-9.  A later  editor  separated  them  by  intro- 
ducing the  priestly  account  of  the  death  of  Aaron  and  the  attack  upon  Hormah.  Cf.  §§  95,  92. 
Again  the  Ephraimite  characteristics  appear,  e.  g.,  God  and  spoke  against  (instead  of  the  Ju- 
dean murmured)  in  5. 

The  Ephraimite  narratives,  supported  by  Judg.  ll18from  the  same  source,  § 144,  state  dis- 
tinctly that  the  Hebrews  passed  around  the  southern  end  of  the  land  of  Edom ; but  Dt.  23'8'  29 
assert  that  they  passed  to  the  north  of  Edom  and  that  the  Edomites  allowed  them  to  do  so. 
Evidently  the  traditions  varied  widely  at  this  point.  Dt.  seems  to  follow  the  older  Judean, 
the  sequel  of  which  has  perhaps  been  left  out  in  Num.  2119-21,  that  it  might  not  contradict  the 
Ephraimite,  which  is  recounted  at  length. 

* Num.  2019  Heb.  suddenly  changes  from  plural  to  singular.  The  collective  nation  Israel  is 
the  spokesman. 

b Num.  2019  Heb.,  On  my  feet.  That  is,  as  an  ordinary  traveller, 

227 


Impa- 
tience, 
punish- 
ment, 
and 
healing 
of  the 
Israel- 
ites by 
the 
bronze 
serpent 


Death  at 
Mount 
Hor  and 
appoint- 
ment of 
his  suc- 
cessor 


Num.  2017,  Dt.  27]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN  [Num.  3331 


Early  Ephraimite 


Late  Prophetic 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 


along  the  king’s  high- 
way; we  will  not  turn 
aside  to  the  right  hand 
or  to  the  left,  until  we 
have  passed  your  ter- 
ritory. 18But  Edom 
said  to  him.  You  shall 
not  pass  through  my 
territory  lest  I come 
out  with  the  sword 
against  you.  21aThus 
Edom  refused  to  give 
Israel  passage  through 
his  territory. 


ney  through  this  great 
wilderness;  these  forty 
years  Jehovah  thy  God 
hath  been  with  thee; 
thou  hast  lacked  noth- 
ing.’ 8aSo  we  passed 
by  our  brethren  the 
children  of  Esau,  that 
dwell  in  Seir,  from 
the  way  of  Arabah, 
from  Elath  and  from 
Ezion-geber. 


jaakan.  32 And  they  journeyed 
from  Bene-jaakan  and  en- 
camped in  Hor-baggidgad. 
33And  they  journeyed  from 
Hor-haggidgad  and  encamped 
in  Jotbathah  34 And  they  jour- 
neyed from  Jotbathah  and  en- 
camped in  Abronah.  35And 
they  journeyed  from  Abronah 
and  encamped  in  Ezion-geber. 
36And  they  journeyed  from 
Ezion-geber  and  encamped  in 
the  wilderness  of  Zin  (that  is 
Kadesh).  37And  they  jour- 
neyed from  Kadesh  and  en- 
camped in  Mount  Hor,  on  the 
frontier  of  the  land  of  Edom. 


22aSo  they  journeyed  from  Kadesh  21  4bby  the  way  leading  to  the  Red  Sea, 
to  go  around  the  land  of  Edom,  but  the  people  became  impatient0  because 
of  the  journey.  5And  the  people  spoke  against  God  and  Moses,  Why  have 
you  brought  us  up  out  of  Egypt  to  die  in  the  wilderness  ? for  there  is  no  bread 


and  no  water,  and  we  loathe  this  worthless  food.  6Then  Jehovah  sent 


fiery  serpents  among  the  people,  and  they  bit  the  people,  so  that  many 
Israelites  died.  7And  the  people  came  to  Moses,  and  said,  We  have  sinned 
because  we  have  spoken  against  Jehovah  and  against  you;  intercede  with 
Jehovah  that  he  take  away  the  serpents  from  us.  So  Moses  interceded  for 
the  people.  8And  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  Make  a fiery  serpent,  and  set 
it  on  a standard;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  any  one  who  is  bitten, 
when  he  seeth  it,  shall  live.  9And  Moses  made  a bronze  serpent, d and  set  it 
upon  the  standard;  and  it  came  to  pass  that,  if  a serpent  had  bitten  any 
man,  when  he  looked  at  the  bronze  serpent,  he  lived. 


95.  Death  of  Aaron,  Num.  2022b'29,  3338-39,  Dt.  106> T 


Early  Ephraimite 
Prophetic 

Dt.  10  6Then 
the  Israelites  jour- 
neyed from  Beer- 
oth  Benejaakan 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Num.  20  22bAnd  when  the  Israelites,  the  whole  con- 
gregation, came  to  Mount  Hor,  23Jehovah  spoke  to 
Moses  and  Aaron  in  Mount  Hor,  on  the  frontier  of  the 
land  of  Edom,  saying,  24Aaron  shall  be  gathered  to  his 
father’s  kin ; for  he  shall  not  enter  into  the  land  which 


0 Num.  214b  Heb.,  the  soul  of  the  people  was  short.  Cf.  Judg.  1616. 

d Num.  219  The  bronze  serpent,  according  to  II  Kgs.  184,  was  worshipped  until  it  was 
destroyed  by  Hezekiah. 

§ 95  In  Num.  20-2b'29  the  congregation  is  suddenly  introduced  and  interest  is  focused  on 
Aaron.  Vs. 24  contains  a reference  to  the  priestly  account  of  the  sin  at  Meribah,  20p'  13'  § 88. 
Certain  of  these  verses  are  quoted  with  slight  changes  and  expansions  in  the  late  priestly  itin- 
erary in  333s"41.  The  parallels  are  so  close  and  obviously  derived  from  the  same  source  that 
they  have  been  merged  in  the  reconstruction. 

The  speech  of  Moses  in  Dt.  10  is  interrupted  in  6.  7 by  what  is  generally  recognized  as  a frag- 
ment from  an  early  prophetic  itinerary.  It  has  the  same  formula,  died  and  was  buried,  as  is 
found  in  the  Ephraimite  passage,  Num.  20!b.  The  interest  in  Eleazar  also  appears  to  be  char- 
acteristic of  that  source.  Josh.  24s3,  § 129.  It  represents  the  older  version  of  the  tradition  re- 
garding the  death  of  Aaron. 


DEATH  OF  AARON 


[Num.  2024 


Dt.  106] 

Early  Ephraimite 
Prophetic 
[Wells  of  the  sons 
of  Jaakan]  to  Mose- 
rah.  There  Aaron 
died,  and  there  he 
was  buried;  and 
Eleazar  his  son 
ministered  in  the 
priest’s  office  in  his 
stead.  7 *From  there 
they  journeyed  to 
Gudgodah  and 
from  Gudgodah 
to  Jotbathah,  a 
land  of  flowing 
brooks® 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

I have  given  the  Israelites,  because  ye  rebelled  against 
my  word  at  the  waters  of  Meribah.  25Take  Aaron  and 
Eleazar  his  son,  and  bring  them  up  on  Mount  Hor ; 26and 
strip  Aaron  of  his  garments  and  put  them  upon  Eleazar 
his  son;  and  Aaron  shall  be  gathered  to  his  father’s  kin 
and  shall  die  there.  27Then  Moses  did  as  Jehovah 
commanded,  and  they  went  up  on  Mount  Hor  in  the 
sight  of  all  the  congregation.  28aAnd  Moses  stripped 
Aaron  of  his  garments,  and  put  them  upon  Eleazar  his 
son;  and  Aaron  died  there  on  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
33  38in  the  fortieth  year  after  the  Israelites  came  out  of  the  land 
of  Egypt,  on  the  first  day  of  the  fifth  month.  39 And  Aaron  was 
a hundred  and  twenty-three  years  old  when  he  died  ou  Mount  Hor. 
20  28bThen  Moses  and  Eleazar  came  down  from  the 
mountain.  29 And  when  all  the  congregation  saw  that 
Aaron  was  dead,  all  the  house  of  Israel  wept  for  Aaron 
thirty  days. 


§ 96.  Advance  towards  the  East-Jordan,  Num.  21llb~J0, 


Early  Judean 
Num.  21 16And 
from  thence  the 
Israelites  jour- 
neyed  to  Beer 
[Well];  (that  is  the 
well  where  Jehovah 
said  to  Moses,  Gath- 
er the  people  to- 
gether, and  I will 
give  them  water). 

17Then  Israel 
sang  this  song: 


Early  Ephraim- 
ite 

Num.  21 

llbThen  they  en- 
camped in  the 
wilderness, 
which  is  oppo- 
site Moab  o n 
the  east.  12From 
there  they  jour- 
neyed and  en- 
camped in  the 

valley  of  the 

brook  Ze- 
red.13 *From 
there  they 
journeyed 
and  en- 
camped on 


Late  Prophetic 


3341-49,  Dt.  28b'23 

Late  Priest- 
ly Narra- 
tives 

Num.  33 

41  And  they 
journeyed 
from  Mount 
Hor,  and  en- 
camped  in 
Zalmonah. 
42And  they 
journeyed 
from  Zalmo- 
nah  and  en- 
camped  in 
Punon.  43And 
they  jour- 
neyed from 
Punon  and 
encamped  in 
Oboth.  44And 
they  jour- 
neyed from 
Oboth  and 
encamped  in 


Spring  up,  O well ; 

Sing  ye  to  it ; 

I8To  the  well  which  the 
chieftains  dug. 
Which  the  nobles  of  the 
people  delved, 

With  the  leader’s  wand, 
with  their  staves. 


Dt.  2 8bThen  we 
turned  and  passed  by 
the  way  of  the  wilder- 
ness of  Moab.  9 And 
Jehovah  said  to  me 
‘Do  not  harass  Moab, 
nor  contend  with  them 
in  battle;  for  I will  not 
give  thee  any  of  his 
land  for  a possession; 
because  I have  given 
Ar  to  the  children  of 
Lot  for  a possession.’ 
10(The  Emim  dwelt  in 
it  formerly,  a people 
great  and  many  and 
tall  like  the  Anakim; 
11  these  also  are  counted 


6 Dt.  107  Heb.,  brooks  of  waters. 

§ 96  Num.  21llb-16  continues  the  Ephraimite  itinerary,  agreeing  with  Judg.  II18,  § 144. 

Vss.  10 *-  Ua  are  a fragment  from  the  priestly  parallel.  Cf.  Num.  3343b’  M.  The  fragmentary 

quotation  from  the  old  song  in  15 *  is  apparently  a part  of  the  ancient  source  from  which  the 

prophets  gathered  their  data  and  was  perhaps  preserved  to  show  that  the  Hebrews  respected 

the  boundaries  of  Moab.  Vss.  16-20  is  introduced  by  a new  formula  and  traces  the  journeyings 

of  the  Hebrews  in  Moab,  although  the  Ephraimite  narrative  in  13-16  has  already  brought  them 

out  of  Moab,  across  the  Arnon,  its  northern  boundary.  The  language  points  to  the  Judean 

source.  The  representation  that  the  Hebrews  passed  directly  through  instead  of  around  the 

territory  of  Moab  not  only  confirms  this  inference,  but  also  tends  to  establish  the  conjecture, 

note  § 94,  that,  according  to  this  group  of  narratives,  they  passed  around  to  the  north  rather  than 

to  the  south  of  Edom.  The  Deuteronomic  parallel  seems  to  follow  the  Judean  source. 

229 


Experi- 
ences 
in  the 
journey 
about 
Moab 


Late  Priest- 
ly N arra- 
tives 

lye- abarim  in 
the  border  of 
Moab.  45  And 
they  jour- 


Num.2118-13]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN  [Dt.  211,  Num.  3344 

Early  Judean 

And  from  Beer 
they  journeyed  to 
Mattanah  ;f  19and 
from  Mattanah 
to  Nahaliel;  and 
from  Nahaliel  to 
Bamoth ; 20a  n d 
from  Bamoth  to 
the  valley  which 
is  in  the  region  of 
Moab,  to  the  top 
of  Pisgah,  which 
looks  out  upon 
the  desert. 


Early  Ephraim- 
ite 

the  other  side 
of  the  Arnon, 
which  is  in  the 
wilderness, 
which  stretches 
out  from  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  Am- 
orites;  for  the 
Arnon  is  the  Mo- 
abite boundary, 
between  Moab 
and  the  Amor- 
ites.  14Therefore 
it  is  said  in  the 
Book  of  theWars 
of  Jehovah, 

We  passed  through  Waheb  in  Suphah, 
And  the  valleys  of  Arnon, 
l6And  the  slope  of  the  valleys, 

Which  extends  to  the  site  of  Ar, 

And  borders  on  the  frontier  of  Moab. 


Late  Prophetic 

as  the  Rephaim,  like 
the  Anakim,  but  the 
Moabites  call  them 
Emim.  12The  Horites 
also  dwelt  in  Seir  for- 
merly, but  the  children  ! Xyfm^  and  ero 
of  Esau  succeeded  j camped  in 
them,  and  destroyed  | 
them  from  before  them, 
and  dwelt  in  their 
stead,  just  as  Israel  did 
to  the  land  of  his  pos- 
session, which  Jeho- 
vah gave  to  them). 

13  ‘Now  rise  up,  and 
cross  over  the  brook 
Zered.’  So  we  went 
over  the  brook  Zered. 

14And  the  time  in  which 
we  came  from  Kadesh- 
barnea  until  we  had 
crossed  the  brook  Ze- 
red was  thirty-eight 


Dibon-gad. 
46  And  they 
journeyed 
from  Dibon- 
gad  and  en- 
camped in 
Almon-dibla- 
thaim.  47 And 
they  jour- 
neyed from 
Almon-dibla- 
thaim  and  en- 
camped in  the 
mountains  of 
Abarim  be- 
fore Nebo. 
48 And  they 
journeyed 
from  the 
mountains  of 
Abarim  and 
encamped  in 
the  plains  of 
Moab  by  the 
Jordan  at 
J e r i c h o . 
49  And  they 
encamped  by 
the  Jordan, 
from  Beth- 
jeshimoth 
even  to  Abel- 
shittim  in  the 
plains  of 
Moab. 


years;  until  the  whole  generation  of  warriors  was  consumed 
from  the  midst  of  the  camp,  as  Jehovah  swore  to  them. 

15Moreover  the  hand  of  Jehovah  was  against  them  to  rout  them 
in  confusion  from  the  midst  of  the  camp,  until  they  were  con- 
sumed. 16So  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  the  warriors  were  con- 
sumed and  dead  from  among  the  people,  17that  Jehovah  said 
to  me,  18‘Thou  art  this  day  to  pass  over  Ar,  the  border  of 
Moab. 

19And  when  thou  comest  nigh  over  against  the  Ammonites, 
do  not  harass  nor  contend  with  them,  for  I will  not  give  thee  any  of  the  land 
of  the  Ammonites  for  a possession,  because  I gave  it  to  the  children  of  Lot 
for  a possession.’  20(That  also  is  counted  as  a land  of  Rephaim;  Rephaim 
dwelt  in  it  formerly;  but  the  Ammonites  call  them  Zamzummim,  21  a people 
great  and  many,  and  tall,  like  the  Anakim.  But  Jehovah  destroyed  them 
before  them  and  they  succeeded  them  and  dwelt  in  their  stead;  22as  he  did 
for  the  children  of  Esau  who  dwell  in  Seir,  when  he  destroyed  the  Horites 
from  before  them  and  they  succeeded  them,  and  dwelt  in  their  stead  even 
to  this  day.  23So  also  the  Awim,  who  dwelt  in  villages  as  far  as  Gaza,  the 
Caphtorim,  who  came  from  Caphtor,  destroyed  and  dwelt  in  their  stead). 


f Num.  2118d  Heb.,  And  from  the  wilderness  to  Mattanah.  But  wilderness  is  probably  from 
a later  editor  or  copyist,  who  had  13  in  mind.  Context  demands  the  reading  of  the  Gk.  which 
is  followed  above.  Budde’s  ingenious  conjecture  that  it  was  the  last  line  of  song,  From  the 
wilderness  a gift,  is  possible,  but  involves  several  radical  changes  in  the  text. 

230 


Num.  2 132,  21]  CONQUEST  EAST  OF  THE  JORDAN  [Dt.  224 


§97.  Conquest  of  the  East-Jordan  Territory,  Num.  21s1-35,  32s9-*5, 
Dt.  224~37,  31*11,  Josh.  131* 


Early  Judean 

Num.21  32Then 
Moses  sent  to  spy 
out  J a z e r ; and 
they  took  its 
towns,  and  drove 
out  the  Amorites 
who  were  there, 
24beven  to  the 
Ammonites;  for 
Jazer  was  the  bor- 
der of  the  Am- 
monites. 25Then 
Israel  took  all 
these  cities,  and 
Israel  dwelt  in  all 
the  cities  of  the 
Amorites,  inHesh- 
bon,  and  in  all  its 
dependent  v i 1 1 a- 
ges.g  26For  Hesh- 
bon was  the  city 
of  Sihon  the  king 
of  the  Amorites, 
who  had  fought 
against  the  former 
king  of  Moab,  and 


Early  Ephraimite 

Num.21  21Then 

Israel  sent  messen- 
gers to  Sihon  king 
of  the  Amorites, 
saying,  22Let  me 
now  pass  through 
your  land.  We  will 
not  turn  aside  into 
field  or  vineyard; 
we  will  not  drink 
from  the  water  of 
the  wells;  we  will 
go  by  the  king’s 
highway,  until  we 
have  passed 
through  your  terri- 
tory. 23But  Sihon 
would  not  allow 
Israel  to  pass 
through  his  terri- 
tory. Therefore  Si- 
hon gathered  all 
his  people  to- 
gether,  and  went 
out  against  Israel 
in  the  wilderness, 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Dt.  2 24‘ Arise,  take  your  jour- 
ney across  the  river  Arnon;  behold, 
I have  given  into  thy  power  Sihon 
the  Amorite,  king  of  Heshbon  with 
his  land;  begin  the  conquest  and 
join  battle  with  him.  25This  day 
will  I begin  to  put  the  dread  of 
thee  and  the  fear  of  thee  upon  the 
peoples  that  are  under  the  whole 
heaven,  who  shall  hear  the  report 
of  thee,  so  that  they  will  tremble 
and  be  in  anguish  because  of  thee.’ 

26Then  I sent  messengers  out  of 
the  wilderness  of  Kedemoth  to 
Sihon  king  of  Heshbon  with  words 
of  peace  saying,  27 ‘Let  me  pass 
through  your  land;  I will  go  along 
by  the  highway,  I will  turn  neither 
to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left. 
28Thou  shalt  sell  me  for  money 
food  to  eat,  and  give  me  for  money 
water  to  drink,  only  let  me  pass 
through  quietly,  29as  did  the  chil- 
dren of  Esau  who  dwell  in  Seir,  and 
the  Moabites  who  dwell  in  Ar ; until 
I shall  pass  over  the  Jordan  into 


§ 97  The  conquest  of  east-Jordan  territory  marks  one  of  the  most  important  events  in  the 
history  of  the  Israelites,  for  it  represents  the  transition  from  the  nomadic  to  settled  agricultural 
life.  Not  only  do  the  three  prophetic  sources  all  have  their  account  of  it,  but  one  in  Num. 
2127-30  has  preserved  an  ancient  song  taken  from  the  lips  of  the  bards,  2,11 , which  tells  of  the  early 
conquest  of  the  northern  Moabitish  tribes  by  the  Hebrews.  The  identification  of  the  Ephraim- 
ite version  is  facilitated  by  the  parallels  in  Josh.  24s,  Judg.  1 fio-22,  ancj  Dt.  224-37,  31'11,  which 
have  the  same  phraseology  and  present  the  same  facts.  The  introductory  formula,  Num.  2121, 
Dt.  2®,  Judg.  II19,  is  the  same  as  that  found  at  the  beginning  of  the  Ephraimite  account  of 
the  negotiations  of  the  Edomites,  Num.  2014,  § 95.  In  Judg.  11—  the  account  of  the  war 
with  Sihon  ends  with  a statement  almost  identical  with  that  in  Num.  2124a.  Vs.  31  appears 
to  be  its  sequel.  The  intervening  verses,  24b-3°,  recount  the  conquests  of  the  Israelites  by  cities, 
not  by  definite  boundaries,  as  in 2l-24.  Only  one  city,  Jahaz,  has  been  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
context,  so  that  the  statement  in  25a,  Israel  took  all  these  cities,  is  unintelligible.  Vs.  26b  is  also 
a duplicate  of  31. 

The  solution  of  these  obvious  inconsistencies  is  the  recognition  of  two  distinct  accounts  of 
the  conquest:  the  Ephraimite  which  gives  the  boundaries  of  the  territories  conquered,  and  the 
fragmentary  Judean  which  tells  of  the  conquest  of  the  Amorite  cities.  In  the  process  of  amalga- 
mation 32  has  apparently  been  displaced  from  its  original  position  before  24b,  for  it  follows  very 
awkwardly  after  the  conclusion  in  31.  The  classification  of  20-30  is  not  certain.  Vs.  26  may  be 
editorial  and  27-30  Ephraimite.  In  24b  the  Gk.  has  retained  the  reading,  the  border  of  the  Am- 
monites was  Jazer  (instead  of  the  meaningless  Hebrew  strong).  Num.  323  contains  a list  of  the 
Amorite  cities — Jazer  among  them — which  probably  once  appeared  in  the  original  Judean 
parallel.  Cf.  § 102.  In  the  same  chapter,  3239"12,  is  also  found  another  fragment  which  is  loosely 
connected  with  its  context  and  has  close  affinities  with  the  Judean  account  of  the  conquest  in 
Judg.  1,  § 114.  Cf.  Josh.  171  and  Judg.  104,  § 143.  To  the  same  group  of  narratives  the  dis- 
connected fragment  in  Josh.  1313  also  belongs. 

e Num.  2125  Heb.,  daughters. 


Victory 
over  Si- 
hon and 
occupa- 
tion of 
his  ter- 
ritory 


231 


Num.  2126,  23]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN 


[Dt.  229 


Early  Judean 
taken  all  his  land 
out  of  his  hand, 
even  to  the  Arnon. 
27Therefore  the 
bardsh  sing: 


Con- 
quest of 
Gilead 
and 

Bashan 


Early  Ephraimite 
and  came  to  Jahaz, 
where  he  fought 
against  Israel. 
24aT  hen  Israel 
smote  him  with 
the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  seized 
his  land  from  the 
Arnon  to  the  Jab- 
bok.  31Thus  Isra- 
el came  to  live  in 
the  land  of  the 
Amorites. 


Come  to  Heshbon  ! 

Let  it  be  rebuilt  ! 

Let  the  city  of  Sihon  be  re-established  ! 

2 “For  fire  went  out  from  Heshbon, 

Flame  from  the  city  of  Sihon  ; 

It  devoured  Ar  of  Moab, 

The  lords  of  the  high  places  of  Arnon. 

29 Woe  to  thee  Moab  ! 

Undone  art  thou,  O people  of  Chemosh  : 
Who  has  made  his  sons  fiigitives 
And  his  daughters  captives, 

To  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites. 

S0So  their  offspring  have  perished  from 
Heshbon  to  Dibon 
And  their  wives  . . to  Medeba.1 


Num.  32  39  A n d 
the  children  of  Ma- 
chir  the  son  of  Ma- 
nasseh  went  to  Gilead 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 
the  land  which  Jehovah  our  God 
giveth  us/  30But  Sihon  king  of 
Heshbon  would  not  let  us  pass  by 
him;  for  Jehovah  your  God  made 
him  unyielding  and  obstinate, 
that  he  might  deliver  him  into  your 
power  as  he  is  to-day.  31  And  Je- 
hovah said  to  me,  ‘Behold,  I have 
begun  to  deliver  up  Sihon  and  his 
land  before  thee;  begin  the  con- 
quest, that  thou  mayest  inherit  his 
land.’  32Then  Sihon  came  out 
against  us,  he  and  all  his  people,  to 
join  battle  at  Jahaz.  33But  Jeho- 
vah our  God  delivered  him  up  be- 
fore us,  and  we  smote  him,  his  sons 
and  all  his  people.  34 And  we  took 
all  his  cities  at  that  time,  and  com- 
pletely destroyed  every  city — men, 
women  and  the  little  ones — we  left 
none  remaining;  35only  the  cattle 
we  took  as  booty  for  ourselves 
with  the  spoil  of  the  cities  which 
we  had  taken.  36From  Aroer  which 
is  on  the  edge  of  the  river  Arnon, 
and  the  city  which  is  beside  the 
river  even  to  Gilead,  there  was  not 
a city  too  strong  for  us  to  take; 
Jehovah  our  God  delivered  up  all 
before  us.  37Only  the  land  of  the 
Ammonites  you  did  not  approach: 
even  all  the  side  of  the  river  Jabbok 
and  the  cities  of  the  hill-country, 
and  wherever  Jehovah  our  God 
forbade  us. 

Dt.  3 (Num.  2133-35 1)  JThen  we  turned  and  went 
up  by  the  way  to  Bashan.  And  Og  the  king  of  Bashan 
came  out  against  us,  together  with  all  his  people  to 
offer  battle  at  Edrei.  2But  Jehovah  said  to  me,  ‘Fear 


h Num.  2127  Lit.,  reciters  of  proverbs  or  poems,  ballad-singers.  As  among  other  primitive 
peoples,  this  class  also  improvised  the  poems  which  they  recited. 

1 Num.  2130  The  variant  readings  of  the  different  versions  testify  to  the  difficulties  of  this 
verse.  The  above  is  a translation  of  the  Heb.  and  Sam.,  the  word  translated  offspring  meaning 
lit.,  tilled  land.  Gk.,  And  their  seed  perished,  Heshbon  to  Dibon,  and  their  wives  still  bum  fire  in 
Moab;  Syr.,  And  the  fields  of  Heshbon  perished  even  to  Ribon,  and  were  desolated  to  Nebah,  which 
is  in  the  desert. 

i Num.  2133-35  consists  of  a quotation,  with  slight  verbal  variations,  from  Dt.  31-5.  It  may 
have  been  substituted' by  a later  editor  for  an  original  Ephraimite  account  of  the  conquest  of 
Bashan.  The  language,  however,  is  that  of  the  late  prophetic  source. 

232 


Num.  3239]  CONQUEST  EAST  OF  THE  JORDAN  [Dt.  32 


Early  Judean 

and  took  it,  and  dis- 
possessed the  Amor- 
ites  who  were  there- 
in. 40And  Moses  gave 
Gilead  to  Machir  the  son 
of  Manasseh,  and  he 
dwelt  in  it.  41  And  Jair 
the  son  of  Manasseh 
went  and  took  their 
tent-  villages  and 
called  them  Havvoth- 
jair  (Tent-villages  of 
Jair).  42And  Nobah 
went  and  took  Ke- 
nath,  and  its  depend- 
ent towns,  and  called 
it  Nobah  after  his 
own  name.  Josh.  13 
^Nevertheless  the 
Israelites  did  not 
drive  out  the  Gesliu- 
rites,  nor  the  Maaca- 
thites,  but  Geshur 
and  Maacath  dwell 
in  the  midst  of  Israel 
to  this  day. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

him  not,  for  I have  delivered  him  with  all  his  people, 
and  his  land  into  thy  power;  and  thou  shalt  do  to  him 
as  thou  didst  to  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  who 
dwelt  at  Heshbon.’  3So  Jehovah  our  God  delivered 
Og  also,  the  king  of  Bashan,  into  our  power  with  all 
his  people;  and  we  smote  him  until  no  one  belonging 
to  him  was  left.  4And  we  took  all  his  cities  at  that 
time;  there  was  not  a city  which  we  did  not  take  from 
them;  sixty  cities,  all  the  region  of  Argob,  the  kingdom 
of  Og  in  Bashan.  5A11  these  were  cities  fortified 
with  high  walls,  gates,  and  bars;  besides  very  many 
unwalled  towns.  GAnd  we  completely  destroyed 
them,  as  we  did  to  Sihon  king  of  Heshbon,  completely 
destroying  every  city  men,  women,  and  the  little  ones. 
7But  all  the  cattle  and  the  spoil  of  the  cities,  we  took  as 
booty  for  ourselves.  8Thus  at  that  time  we  took  the 
land  away  from  the  two  kings  of  the  Amorites  who 
were  beyond  the  Jordan,  from  the  valley  of  the  Arnon 
to  Mount  Hermon  9(the  Sidonians  call  Ilermon  Siri- 
on,  while  the  Amorites  call  it  Senir),  10all  the  cities  of 
the  plain  and  all  Gilead,  and  all  Bashan,  to  Salecah 
and  Edrei,  cities  of  the  kingdom  of  Og  in  Bashan. 
11(For  Og  king  of  Bashan  was  the  sole  survivor  of  the 
Rephaim;  behold,  his  bed,  abed  of  iron,  is  it  not  in 
Rabbah  which  belongs  to  the  Ammonites  ? Its 
length  is  nine  cubits,  and  its  breadth  four  cubits, 
measured  by  the  cubit  of  a man). 


98.  Balaam’s  Prophecy  Concerning  Israel,  Num.  222-2419> 25 


Early  Judean 

Num.  22  3bNow  Moab  was  seized 
with  fear  because  of  the  Israelites. 
4Therefore  Moab  said  to  the  elders 
of  Midian,  Now  will  this  multitude 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Num.  22  2Now  Balak  the  son  of  Moab's 
Zippor  saw  all  that  Israel  had  done  Israel 
to  the  Amorites.  3aAnd  Moab  was  embassy 
greatly  afraid  of  the  people  because  faam’ 


§ 98  Notwithstanding  its  apparent  literary  unity,  a detailed  examination  of  the  Balaam 
story  reveals  many  indications  that  it  is  composite.  There  are  no  traces  of  a priestly  version, 
probably  because  the  idea  of  a non-Israelitish  prophet  of  Jehovah  was  repugnant  to  the  thought 
of  the  later  Jewish  theologians.  In  their  traditions  Balaam  is  a sorcerer,  who  instigated  the 
Midianite  women  to  seduce  the  Israelites  and  who  died  in  battle.  Cf.  Num.  31s.  I6,  256-18,  Josh. 
1322.  The  two  versions  which  appear  in  this  section  are  the  early  prophetic.  The  more  im- 
portant guides  in  the  analysis  are:  doublets  in  222a  and  lb,  3ri  and  3b.  In  221  5.  7,  2412  messen- 
gers go  to  Balaam,  who  are  called  the  elders  of  Moab  ( and  Midian),  but  in  22®.  15.  21.  40,  236'  17  the 
princes  of  Moab  are  sent.  In  one  series  of  passages  Balaam  lives  among  the  neighboring  Am- 
monites, 225  (cf.  note  k on  this  vs.)  23,  and  in  another  in  Pethor  beside  the  Euphrates,  225b,  237. 
The  text  as  it  reads  also  contains  some  obvious  inconsistencies.  Thus  the  account  of  the 
prophet’s  being  intercepted  by  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  in  2222-35  is  not  in  harmony  with  the 
statement  in  20  that  God  commanded  him  to  accompany  Balak’s  ambassadors.  In  21  he  goes 
with  the  princes  of  Moab,  but  in  22  he  is  apparently  accompanied  only  by  his  two  servants. 

The  fact  that  the  name  God  is  used  throughout  in  222-21,  but  Jehovah  thirteen  times  in  2222-35 
and  God  not  once,  suggests  that  the  latter  passage  belongs  to  the  Judean  narrative.  This  is  sup- 

233 


FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN  [Num.  223a 


Num.  224] 

Early  Judean 

lick  up  all  that  is  round  about  us, 
as  the  ox  licks  up  the  grass  of  the 
field.  And  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor 
was  king  of  Moab  at  that  time. 
5bAnd  he  sent  messengers  to  Balaam 
the  son  of  Beor  to  the  land  of  the  Am- 
monites,k saying,  A people  has  come 
out  from  Egypt;  behold,  they  have 
completely  covered  the  face  of  the 
land,1  and  are  abiding  over  against 
me.  6aCome,  therefore,  I pray,  curse 
this  people  for  me;  (for  they  are 
stronger  than  I)  perhaps  I may  be 
able  to  defeat  and  drive  them  out 
of  the  land.  "Then  the  elders  of 
Moab  and  the  elders  of  Midian  de- 
parted with  the  fee  for  divination 
in  their  hands,  and  they  came  to 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

they  were  many.  5aSo  he  sent  to 
Balaam,  to  Pethor  which  is  by  the 
river  Euphrates,  saying,  ebCome, 
curse  this  people,  for  I know  that  he 
whom  you  bless  is  blessed,  and  he 
whom  you  curse  is  cursed.  8And  he 
said  to  them,  Pass  the  night  here,  and 
I will  bring  you  word  again  according 
to  what  Jehovah  shall  speak  to  me. 
So  the  princes  of  Moab  stayed  with 
Balaam.  9Then  God  came  to  Balaam 
and  said,  What  men  are  these  with 
thee?  10 And  Balaam  said  to  God, 
Balak  the  son  of  Zippor,  king  of  Mo- 
ab, hath  sent  to  me.  12And  God  said 
to  Balaam,  Thou  shalt  not  go  with 
them;  thou  shalt  not  curse  the  people, 
for  they  are  blessed.  13And  Balaam 


ported  by  the  references  to  the  speaking  ass,  recalling  the  story  of  the  speaking  serpent  in 
Gen.  3,  which  is  peculiar  to  the  Judean  source.  On  the  other  hand  the  revelations  by  night  in 
228-i°.  1216.  19-21  are  characteristic  of  the  Ephraimite.  Of  the  parallel  synonyms  noted  above, 
■princes  of  Moab  and  Pethor  beside  the  River  (cf.  Dt.  234)  are  also  peculiar  to  the  Ephraimite. 
Certain  characteristic  expressions  further  facilitate  the  analysis;  e.  g.,  cover  the  face  (lit.,  eye)  of 
the  land  in  225b>  n,  cf.  Ex.  lO8-  15,  which  points  to  the  Judean  source.  At  certain  points  the  ver- 
sions appear  to  have  been  so  similar  that  the  analysis  is  not  always  obvious,  but  with  the  two 
narratives  in  22  as  a basis  it  is  possible,  from  recurring  expressions  and  ideas,  to  classify  with 
assurance  23  as  the  sequel  to  the  Ephraimite,  and  24,  with  the  exception  of  25,  the  linguistic 
affinities  of  which  are  with  the  other  source,  as  the  continuation  of  the  Judean  story. 

The  character  of  Balaam,  as  portrayed  in  the  two  accounts,  is  vew  different:  in  the  Judean 
he  is  a famous  augur,  accustomed  to  divine  by  observing  omens  or  i the  sacred  lot,  227,  241, 
whom  the  spirit  of  God,  242,  lifts  for  the  moment  to  the  level  of  a true  prophet,  so  that  he  for- 
gets the  promised  honors,  2217-  37b.  2411,  and  becomes  the  herald  of  a noble  prediction  regarding 
Israel.  In  the  Ephraimite  he  is  a faithful  prophet,  who  constantly  receives  messages  from 
God  and  without  regard  to  personal  interests  unhesitatingly  delivers  them.  This  appears  to 
be  the  conception  in  the  mind  of  the  prophet  Micah  (64- D-  As  far  as  the  Hebrews  are  con- 
cerned he  figures  in  both  narratives  as  the  spokesman  of  the  Deity.  It  did  not  trouble  the 
early  narrators  that  he  was  not  an  Israelite.  The  culmination  of  each  story  is  the  prediction 
concerning  Israel.  Balaam  is  only  a part  of  the  dramatic  setting:  even  a foreign  prophet  in 
the  employ  of  a hostile  king  was  compelled  in  justice  to  the  truth  to  testify  to  the  greatness  of 
Jehovah’s  people. 

The  fact  that  in  the  eighth  century  b.c.  two  distinct  versions  were  current  indicates  that 
the  Balaam  tradition  is  older  than  the  prophetic  narratives  themselves.  The  Bela  son  of  Beor, 
the  first  king  of  Edom  (Gen.  3631-43),  may  be  the  original  character  in  this  story,  which  has  un- 
dergone many  transformations  in  successive  generations.  In  the  Judean  narratives  he  is  an 
Ammonite,  in  the  Ephraimite  an  Aramean,  and  in  the  priestly  apparently  a Midianite  (Num. 
318-  16).  In  later  Jewish  traditions  the  details  are  further  elaborated.  It  is  stated,  for  example, 
that  he  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-three  or  thirty-four  and  had  no  part  in  the  world  to  come. 

The  poems,  like  the  tradition,  appear,  with  the  exception  of  the  appendices  to  the  second 
oracle  in  24,  to  be  older  than  their  present  setting.  In  simpler  form  they  may  originally  have 
even  been  current  independently  of  the  Balaam  story . The  first  and  second,  however,  appears 
from  the  beginning  to  have  been  wedded  to  the  present  narrative.  They  all  reflect  the  sense 
of  national  contentment  and  prosperity  which  characterized  the  days  of  David  and  Solomon. 
The  reference  in  2418-  19  is  clearly  to  the  conquest  of  Edom  and  Moab  bv  David.  The  allusions 
to  Agag  in  241,  if  original,  also  favors  this  early  date.  For  the  full  consideration  of  date  and 
literary  form  cf.  vol.  V0  in  loco . 

k 225b  Heb.,  to  the  land  of  the  children  of  his  people.  But  Gk.,  Syr.,  Sam.  Lat.,  and  some 
Heb.  manuscripts  read,  children  of  Ammon „ The  change  to  ammo  which  is  the  basis  of  the 
current  translation,  was  probably  made  to  reconcile  the  Judean  narrative  with  the  representa- 
tion ot  the  Ephraimite  in  6a.  Vss.  22-34  imply  that  Balaam  lived  in  a neighboring  country  like  Am- 
mon, not  in  distant  Aram. 

l 226b-  11  Heb.,  has  covered  the  eye  of  the  earth.  The  subjects  throughout  this  passage  are  in 
the  singular,  referring  to  the  collective  antecedent,  people. 

234 


Num.  227] 

Early  Judean 

Balaam,  and  repeated  to  him  the 
words  of  Balak,  11Behold  the  people 
that  has  come  from  Egypt  is  cover- 
ing the  face  of  the  land;1  now  come, 
curse  them  for  me;  perhaps  I may 
be  able  to  fight  against  them  and 
drive  them  out.  17For  I will  re- 
ward you  with  very  great  honor, 
and  whatever  you  say  to  me  I will 
do.  Come  therefore,  I pray,  curse 
this  people  for  me.  18 And  Balaam 
answered  and  said  to  the  servants 
of  Balak,  If  Balak  should  give  me 
his  house  full  of  silver  and  gold  I 
could  not  go  beyond  the  word  of 
Jehovah  my  God,  to  do  less  or  more. 


[Num.  2213 

Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

arose  in  the  morning,  and  said  to  the 
princes  of  Balak,  Go  to  your  land;  for 
Jehovah  refuseth  to  give  me  leave  to 
go  with  you.  14So  the  princes  of  Moab 
arose  and  they  went  to  Balak  and 
said,  Balaam  refuses  to  come  with  us. 
15Then  Balak  once  again  sent  princes, 
more  in  number,  and  more  honorable 
than  they.  16And  they  came  to  Ba- 
laam and  said  to  him,  this  is  the  mes- 
sage from  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor, 
‘Let  nothing,  I pray,  hinder  you 
from  coming  to  me.’  Then  Balaam 
said,  19Now  therefore,  I pray,  you 
also  remain  here  to-night,  that  I may 
know  what  Jehovah  will  again  speak 
to  me.  20And  God  came  to  Balaam 
at  night,  and  said  to  him,  If  the  men 
have  come  to  call  thee,  rise  up,  go 
with  them;  but  nothing  but  what  I 
tell  thee  thou  shalt  do. 

21a. ego  Ba- 
laam rose  up 
in  the  morning 
and  went  with 
the  princes  of 
Moab.  37aThen 
Balak  said  to 
Balaam,  Did  I 
not  earnestly 
send  to  you  to 
summon  you? 
38And  Balaam 
said  to  Balak, 
See!  I have  come 
to  you;  have  I 
now  of  myself 
any  power  at 
all  to  speak  any- 
thing ? The 
word  that  God 
putteth  in  my 
mouth,  that 
must  I speak. 
40A  n d Balak 


2lt>Then  he  saddled  his  ass  and  ivent  with  them.  22But 
God’s  anger  was  aroused  because  he  went,  and  the  Mes- 
senger of  Jehovah  placed  himself  in  the  way  as  an  ad- 
versary against  him.  Now  he  was  riding  upon  his  ass, 
and  his  two  servants  were  with  him.  23 And  when  the  ass 
saw  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  standing  in  the  way,  with 
his  drawn  sword  in  his  hand,  the  ass  turned  aside  out  of 
the  way,  and  went  into  the  field;  then  Balaam  struck  the 
ass  to  turn  her  into  the  way.  24But  the  Messenger  stood 
in  a narrow  path  between  the  vineyards,  a wall  being  on 
this  side,  and  a wall  on  that  side.  25 And  when  the  ass  saw 
the  Messenger  of  Jehovah,  she  pressed  herself  against  the 
wall  and  crushed  Balaam’s  foot  against  the  wall;  so 
he  struck  her  again.  26Then  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah 
went  further,  and  stood  in  a narrow  place,  where  there  was 
no  way  to  turn  either  to  the  right  hand  or  the  left.  27And 
when  the  ass  saw  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah,  she  lay  down 
under  Balaam;  and  Balaam’s  anger  was  aroused  and  he 
struck  the  ass  with  his  staff.  28Then  Jehovah  opened  the 
mouth  of  the  ass,  and  she  said  to  Balaam,  What  have  I 
done  to  you,  that  you  should  have  struck  me  these  three 
times  ? 29 And  Balaam  said  to  the  ass,  Because  you  have 
made  sport  of  me;  I would  there  were  a sword  in  my  hand, 
for  now  I would  kill  you.  30And  the  ass  said  to  Balaam, 

235 


BALAAM’S  PROPHECY 


Ba- 
laam’s 
experi- 
ences on 
the  way 
to  Balak 


The  for- 
eign 
proph- 
et’s tes- 
timony 
to  Isra- 
el’s fut- 
ure 
great- 
ness 


Num.  2230]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN  [Num.  22 40 


Early  Judean 

Am  not  I your  ass,  upon  which  you  have  ridden  all  your 
life  long  until  to-day  ? has  it  been  my  habit  to  deal  thus 
with  you  ?m  And  he  said,  No.  31Then  Jehovah  opened 
the  eyes  of  Balaam,  and  he  saw  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah 
standing  in  the  way,  with  his  drawn  sword  in  his  hand ; and 
he  bowed  his  head  and  fell  on  his  face.  32 And  the  Mes- 
senger of  Jehovah  said  to  him,  Why  hast  thou  struck  thine 
ass  these  three  times?  behold,  I have  come  forth  as  an 
adversary,  because  thy  conduct  is  perverse  before  me; 
33and  the  ass  saw  me,  and  turned  aside  before  me  these 
three  times.  Unless  she  had  turned  aside  from  me,  surely 
now  I had  even  slain  thee,  and  saved  her  alive.  ^There- 
fore Balaam  said  to  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah,  I have 
sinned;  for  I did  not  know  that  thou  stoodest  in  the  way 
against  me;  now  therefore  if  it  displeases  thee,  I will  go 
back  again.  35But  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  said  to  Ba- 
laam,  Go  with  the  men  ; but  only  the  word  that  I shall  speak  to 
thee,  that  thou  shalt  speak.  So  Balaam  went  with  the  princes  of 
Balak.u  36And  when  Balak  heard  that  Balaam  was  com- 
ing, he  went  out  to  meet  him  at  Ir  of  Moab,  which  is  on  the 
boundary  formed  by  the  Arnon  which  is  at  the  extremity 
of  the  boundary,  and  said  to  him,  37bAm  I really  without 
the  power  to  honor  you?  39Then  Balaam  went  with 
Balak,  and  they  came  to  Kiriath-huzzoth. 


Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narra- 
tives 

sacrificed  oxen 
and  sheep,  and 
sent  to  Balaam, 
and  to  the  prin- 
ces who  were 
with  him. 


23  27 And  Balak  said  to  Balaam,  Come 
now,  I will  take  you  to  another  place  ; per- 
haps it  will  please  God  that  you  may  curse 
them  for  me  from  there.0  28So  Balak 
took  Balaam  to  the  top  of  Peor, 
which  looks  out  over  the  eastern 
desert.  29 And  Balaam  said  to  Balak, 
Build  me  here  seven  altars,  and  prepare  me 
here  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams.  30So 
Balak  did  as  Balaam  had  said,  and  of- 
fered up  a bullock  and  a ram  on  each  altar.0 
24  xNow  when  Balaam  saw  that  it 
pleased  Jehovah  to  bless  Israel,  he 
did  not  go  to  consults  omens  as  he  had 
done  time  and  again,  but  he  turned 
toward  the  wilderness. *  2And  when 
Balaam  lifted  up  his  eyes,  he  saw  Is- 


22  41And  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
morning  that  Balak  took  Balaam, 
and  brought  him  up  to  the  high  places 
of  Baal;  and  he  saw  from  there  the 
extreme  limits  of  the  people.  23  1 And 
Balaam  said  to  Balak,  Build  me 
here  seven  altars,  and  prepare  me 
here  seven  bullocks  and  seven  rams. 

2And  Balakp  did  as  Balaam  had  com- 
manded, and  offered  on  each  altar  a 

bullock  and  a ram.  3Then  Balaam 
said  to  Balak,  Stand  by  your  burnt- 
offering,  and  I will  go;  perhaps 
Jehovah  will  come  to  meet  me;  and 
whatever  he  showeth  me  I will  tell 


m 222,-3°  Cf.  the  speaking  cow  in  the  Egyptian  Tale  of  the  Two  Brothers. 
n 22®b  Apparently  introduced  by  the  editor,  who  combined  the  two  narratives  in  order  to 
reconcile  them. 

° 2327>  29'  30  These  verses  also  seem  to  be  from  the  editor,  who  aimed  to  explain  why  Balak 
made  still  another  attempt  after  having  abandoned  it  in  25.  Otherwise  the  original  Judean 
narrative  contained  an  account  of  a blessing  at  Kiriath-huzzoth,  which  has  been  lost. 

p 232  Following  Gk.  Heb.  adds  Balak  and  Balaam.  The  context  indicates  clearly  that  it 
was  Balak  who  offered  the  sacrifice.  Cf.  3>  fi>  1S>  17. 

« 241  Heb.,  meet. 


236 


BALAAM’S  PROPHECY 


Num.  242] 

Early  Judean 
rael  dwelling  according  to  their  tribes ; 
and  the  spirit  of  God  came  upon  him, 
3and  he  uttered  his  oracle  saying. 

The  oracle  of  Balaam  the  son  of  Beor, 
Even  the  oracle  of  the  man  who  seeth 
truly ; r 

4The  oracle  of  him  who  heareth  the 
words  of  God, 

Who  seeth  the  vision  of  the  Almighty, 
Falling  down  and  having  his  eyes  open;r 
5How  beautiful  are  thy  tents,  O Jacob, 
Thy  dwellings,  O Israel ! 

6Like  valleys  are  they  spread  out, 

Like  gardens  by  the  river-side, 

Like  lign-aloess  which  Jehovah  hath 
planted. 

Like  cedars  beside  the  waters. 

’Water  shall  flow  from  his  buckets. 

And  his  seed  shall  be  sown  in  abundant 
waters. 

And  his  king  shall  be  higher  than  Agag, 
And  his  kingdom  shall  be  exalted. 
8God  who  brought  him  forth  out  of 
Egypt ; 

Is  for  him  like  the  strength  of  the 
wild-ox. 

He  shall  devour  the  nations,  his  adver- 
saries. 

And  shall  break  their  bones  in  pieces, 
And  shatter  his  oppressors.11 
9He  crouches,  he  lies  down  like  a lion. 
And  like  a lioness,  who  shall  stir  him  up  ? 
Blessed  is  every  one  who  blesses  thee, 
And  cursed  is  everyone  who  curses  thee. 

10Then  Balak’s  anger  was  aroused 
against  Balaam,  and  he  smote  his 
hands  together;  and  Balak  said  to 
Balaam,  I called  you  to  curse  my 
enemies,  and,  behold,  you  have  done 
nothing  but  bless  them  these  three 
times.  11Therefore  now  flee  to  your 
home.  I intended  to  honor  you  great- 
ly; but,  as  it  is,  Jehovah  hath  kept 
thee  back  from  honor.  12But  Ba- 
laam said  to  Balak,  Did  I not  say  to 


[Num.  233 

Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 
you.  And  he  went  to  a bare  height. 

4And  God  met  Balaam;  and  he  said 
to  him,  I have  prepared  the  seven 
altars,  and  I have  offered  a bullock 
and  a ram  on  each  altar.  5Then 
Jehovah  put  a word  in  Balaam’s 
mouth  and  said,  Return  to  Balak, 
and  thus  thou  shalt  speak.  6And  he 
returned  to  him,  just  as  he  was  stand- 
ing  by  his  burnt-offering,  together 
with  all  the  princes  of  Moab.  7And 
he  uttered  his  oracle,  saying. 

From  Aram  hath  Balak  brought  me. 

The  king  of  Moab  from  the  mountains 
of  the  East ; 

Come,  curse  Jacob  for  me. 

And  come,  denounce  Israel. 

8How  shall  I curse,  whom  God  hath  not 

cursed  ? 

And  how  shall  I denounce,  whom  Jeho- 
vah hath  not  denounced  ? 

9For  from  the  top  of  the  rocks  I see  him, 

And  from  the  hills  I behold  him— 

Behold  a people  dwelling  alone, 

And  not  accounting  itself  as  one  of  the 
nations. 

10Who  can  count  the  dust  of  Jacob, 

Or  number  the  myriads1  of  Israel  ? 

Let  me  die  the  death  of  the  righteous. 

And  let  my  end  be  like  his  ! 

11Then  Balak  said  to  Balaam,  What  The  re- 
have  you  done  to  me  ? I calledv  you  predic- 
to  curse  my  enemies,  and,  behold,  warding 
you  have  richly  blessed  them.  12And  glorious 
he  answered  and  said,  Must  I not  ture 
always  take  heed  to  speak  that  which 
Jehovah  putteth  in  my  mouth  ? 
13Then  Balak  said  to  him,  Come,  I 
pray,  with  me  to  another  place,  from 
whence  you  may  see  them  ;w  you  shall 
see  only  the  extreme  part  of  them ; and 


r 243  So  Gk.  Heb.  is  obscure.  It  may  be  translated,  whose  eye  is  open  or  whose  eye  is  closed. 

• 24'"'  Or  palm  trees  or  poplars. 

t 23'°  Heb.,  fourth  part.  Gk.,  Hordes  or  masses.  A slight  change  of  Heb.  gives  the  above 
reading. 

u 24s  A possible  translation  of  Heb.  is,  shatter  them  with  his  arrows.  The  addition  of  one 
letter  gives  the  above  consonant  reading. 

» 23“  So  Gk.  and  Syr.  Heb.,  took.  Cl.  255'  20‘  37. 

* 2313  Heb.,  Aim,  referring  to  Israel  collectively.  The  singular  is  retained  throughout  the 
verse. 


237 


Num.  241 * * * * * * * * * * 12]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN  [Num.  2313 


Early  Judean 

your  messengers  whom  you  sent  to 
me,  13‘If  Balak  should  give  me  his 
house  full  of  silver  and  gold,  I could 
not  go  beyond  the  word  of  Jehovah, 
to  do  either  good  or  bad  of  my  own 
will;  what  Jehovah  speaketh  that 
must  I speak  ?’  14And  now,  behold,  I 
am  going  to  my  people:  come  let  me 
tell  you  beforehand  what  this  people 
will  do  to  your  people  in  the  days  to 
come.  15And  he  uttered  his  oracle, 
saying. 

The  oracle  of  Balaam  the  son  of  Beor, 
Even  the  oracle  of  the  man  who  seeth 
truly, 

16The  oracle  of  him  who  heareth  the 
words  of  God, 

And  knoweth  the  knowledge  of  the 
Most  High, 

Who  seeth  the  vision  of  the  Almighty, 
Falling  down  and  having  his  eyes  open 
17I  see  him,  but  not  now  ; 

I behold  him,  but  not  near  ;a 
A star  comes  forth  out  of  Jacob, 

And  a sceptre  arises  out  of  Israel, 

And  shatters  the  temples  of  Moab, 
And  the  skull  of  all  the  sons  of  Seth.b 
18And  Edom  shall  become  a possession, 
Seir,  his  enemies,  shall  also  become  a 
possession. 

While  Israel  doeth  valiantly. 

19And  out  of  Jacob  shall  one  have  do- 
minion, 

And  shall  destroy  the  remnant  from 
the  city.0 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

shall  not  see  them  all ; and  curse  them 
for  me  from  there.  14So  he  took  him 
into  the  field  of  Zophim,  to  the  top  of 
Pisgah,  and  built  seven  altars,  and 
offered  up  a bullock  and  a ram  on 
each  altar.  15And  he  said  to  Balak, 
Stand  here  by  your  burnt-offering, 
while  I meet  Jehovah  yonder.  16And 
Jehovah  met  Balaam,  and  put  a 
word  in  his  mouth,  and  said,  Return 
to  Balak,  and  thus  shalt  thou  speak. 
17And  he  came  to  him  just  as  he  was 
standing  by  his  burnt-offering,  and 
the  princes  of  Moab  with  him.  And 
Balak  said  to  him,  What  hath  Jeho- 
vah spoken?  18Then  he  uttered  his 
oracle,  saying. 

Arise,  Balak,  and  hear  ; 

Hearken  to  me,  thou  son  of  Zippor : 
19God  is  not  man,  that  he  should  lie, 

Nor  a human  being,  that  he  should  re- 
pent : 

Hath  he  said,  and  will  he  not  do  it  ? 
Or  hath  he  spoken,  and  will  he  not 
make  it  good  ? 

20Behold,  I have  received  commandment 
to  bless  ; 

And  he  hath  blessed,  and  I cannot  re- 
verse it. 

21No  misfortune  is  perceived*  in  Jacob ; 
And  no  trouble  is  seen  in  Israel  : 
Jehovah  his  God  is  with  him, 

And  the  shouts  of  rejoicing  over  a 
king-'’  are  in  his  midst. 

22God  who  brought  them  forth  out  of 
Egypt ; 

Is  fur  him  like  the  strength  of  the 
wild-ox. d 

23Surely  there  is  no  observation  of  omens  in 
Jacob ; 

Nor  any  divination  in  Israel : 

Now  shall  it  be  said  of  Jacob  and  of  Israel, 
How  great  things  hath  God  done  ! e 


1 2321  Syr.,  following  20  retains  first  person. 

y 2321  Following  the  Gk.  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Heb.  words,  which  have  a double 

meaning. 

a 2417  Making  a slight  change  in  the  Heb.,  which  is  supported  by  the  parallelism  with  the 

preceding  line. 

b 2417  The  exact  meaning  is  doubtful.  It  has  been  translated  tumult  and  (with  an  emenda- 

tion) pride. 

c 2419  The  last  three  oracles,  2°-24,have  no  connection  with  the  preceding  and  apparently 

refer  to  later  events  and  were  added  by  a very  late  editor.  Cf.  vol.  V. 

d 2322  Identical  with  248  and  possibly  inserted  here  by  an  editor. 

e 2323  Probably  a comment  on  21  which  has  found  its  way  into  the  text.  Vs.  24  is  the  logical 

sequel  of  21  ■ 22. 


238 


BALAAMS  PROPHECY 


[Num.  2324 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

24Behold,  the  people  rises  up  like  a lioness, 

And  like  a lion  he  lifts  himself  up  : 

He  does  not  lie  down  until  he  eats  the  prey. 

And  drinks  the  blood  of  the  slain. 

25Then  Balak  said  to  Balaam,  You  shall  neither  curse  him  nor  bless  him. 
26But  Balaam  answered  and  said  to  Balak,  Did  I not  tell  you,  ‘All  that 
Jehovah  speaketh  that  must  I do?’  24  25So  Balaam  rose  up,  and,  depart- 
ing, returned  to  his  home;  and  Balak  also  went  his  way. 


§ 99.  Idolatry  and  Immorality  of  the  Hebrews,  Num.  22* 1,  25ul5 


Early  Judean 

Num.  25  lbNow  the 
people  began  to  play 
the  harlot  with  the 
daughters  of  Moab ; 
2for  they  called  the 
people  to  the  sacrificial 
feasts  of  their  god,  and 
the  people  ate  and 
bowed  down  to  their 
god.  3bAnd  the  anger 
of  Jehovah  was  kin- 
dled against  Israel. 
4And  he  said  to  Moses, 
Take  all  the  leaders 
of  the  people  and  exe- 
cute'1 them  for  Jeho- 
vah before  the  sun1 
that  the  fierce  anger 
of  Jehovah  may  turn 
away  from  Israel. 


Ephraimite 

Prophetic 

25  laN  o w 
Israel  abode 
in  Shittim. 
3aAnd  Israel 
worshipped5 
the  Baal  o f 
Peor. 

5And  Mo- 
ses said  to  the 
judges  of  Is- 
rael, Let  each 
one  slay  his 
men  who  have 
worshipped 
the  Baal  of 
Peor. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 
22  laThen  the  Israelites  journeyed 
and  encamped  in  the  plains  of  Mo- 
ab beyond  the  Jordan  at  Jericho. 
25  6And,  behold,  one  of  the  Israel- 
ites came  and  brought  home  to  his 
kinsmenf  a Midianite  woman  in 
the  sight  of  Moses  and  all  the  con- 
gregation of  the  Israelites,  while 
they  were  weeping  at  the  door  of 
the  tent  of  meeting.  7And  when 
Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  the 
son  of  Aaron  the  priest,  saw  it,  he 
rose  up  from  the  midst  of  the  con- 
gregation and  took  a spear  in  his 
hand,  8and  went  after  the  man  of 
Israel  into  the  large  tent  and  thrust 
both  of  them  through,  the  man  of 
Israel  and  the  woman  through  the 
body.  So  the  plague  was  stayed 
from  the  Israelites.  9 * And  those 
who  died  of  the  plague  were 
twenty-four  thousand. 


§ 99  Three  distinct  stories  regarding  the  crimes  of  the  Israelites  and  of  their  punishment 
are  found  in  Num.  25.  In  one  they  commit  acts  of  immorality  and  apostasy  in  connection 
with  the  Moabites,  and  their  leaders  are  put  to  death  as  a bloody  sacrifice  to  avert  Jehovah’s 
wrath,  just  as  the  sons  of  Saul  were  at  a later  period,  II  Sam.  211*9.  The  thought  and  language 
are  those  of  the  early  Judean  narratives,  cf.,  e.  g.,  2 * and  Ex.  3415.  In  6-15  the  Midianites,  not  the 
Moabites,  traduce  the  Israelites.  The  punishment  is  a plague,  9,  and  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar 
the  priest  figures  as  the  champion  of  righteousness.  The  priestly  origin  of  the  narrative  is 
obvious.  The  remaining  fragmentary  version  has  all  the  characteristics  of  the  Ephraimite 
source.  E.  g.,  abode , Shittim  in  la.  The  judges  in  5 are  also  peculiar  to  the  Ephraimite  narra- 
tives. Cf.  § 81.  The  succeeding  editors  probably  combined  these  really  distinct  stories,  because 
the  sin  in  each  case  was  in  connection  with  foreign  women  and  because  they  were  all  localized 
at  about  the  same  time  and  place. 

1 256  I.  e.,  introduced  to  his  family. 

s 253a  Lit.,  joined  or  yoked  himself  to , or  took  upon  himself  the  yoke  of,  i.  e.,  became  a devotee  of, 

worshipped. 

h 254  Unfortunately  the  exact  form  of  punishment  indicated  by  this  unusual  Heb.  verb  is 

not  known.  Elsewhere  the  verb  means  to  be  dislocated,  e.  g.,  Gen.  S226.  Gk.  and  Syr.  translate 

it,  expose;  Aquila,  impale;  Targums  and  hat.,  crucify.  The  meaning  throw  down  a rock  has 

also  been  suggested.  RV,  hanging,  has  little  justification.  Some  impressive  form  of  public 

execution  is  evidently  contemplated. 

1 254  The  Syr.  endeavors  to  eliminate  the  moral  difficulty  in  this  passage  by  reading,  Com- 

mand that  they  slay  all  the  men  who  joined  themselves  to  the  Baal  of  Peor. 

239 


Guilt 
and  pun- 
ishment 
of  the 
people 


Riphts 
of  the 
priests 
and  re- 
ward of 
Phine- 
has’s 
zeal 


The 

guilty 

offend- 

ers 


Direc- 
tions to 
take  the 
census 


Clans  of 
the  Reu- 
benites 


Num.  2210]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

10 And  Jehovah  spoke  to  Moses,  saying,  nPhinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar,  the 
son  of  Aaron  the  priest,  hath  turned  away  my  wrath  from  the  Israelites,  in 
that  he  was  jealous  with  the  jealousy  which  I myself  show!  among  them,  so 
that  I did  not  consume  the  Israelites  in  my  jealousy.  12Therefore  say,  ‘Behold, 
I give  to  him  my  covenantk  of  peace : 13and  it  shall  be  to  him  and  his  descend- 
ants after  him  the  covenant  of  an  everlasting  priesthood;  because  he  was 
jealous  for  his  God  and  made  atonement  for  the  Israelites.’ 

14Now  the  name  of  the  Israelite  who  was  slain  with  the  Midianite  woman, 
was  Zimri,  the  son  of  Salu,  a prince  of  a Simeonite  father’s  house.  15And 
the  name  of  the  Midianite  woman  who  was  slain  was  Cozbi,  the  daughter 
of  Zur;  he  was  head  of  the  people  of  a Midianite  father’s  house. 

§ 100.  The  Second  Census,  Num.  26 

Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Num.  26  !Now  it  came  to  pass  after  the  plague,  that  Jehovah  spoke  to 
Moses  and  Eleazar  the  son  of  Aaron  the  priest,  2Take  the  census  of  all  the 
congregation  of  the  Israelites,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upward,  by  their 
fathers’  houses,  all  in  Israel  who  are  able  to  go  to  war.  3Then  Moses  and 
Eleazar  the  priest  spoke  with  them  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  the  Jordan  at 
Jericho,  saying,  4Take  the  census  of  the  people,  from  twenty  years  old  and 
upward,  as  Jehovah  commanded  Moses  and  the  Israelites  who  came  forth 
from  the  land  of  Egypt. 

5Reuben,  the  first-born  of  Israel ; the  sons  of  Reuben : Hanoch,  from  whom 
is  descended  the  family  of  the  Hanochites;  Pallu,  from  whom  is  descended 
the  family  of  the  Palluites;  6Hezron,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of 
the  Hezronites;  Carmi,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Carmites. 
7These  are  the  families  of  the  Reubenites;  and  those  who  were  numbered 
belonging  to  them  were  forty-three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  thirty. 
8And  the  son  of  Pallu,  Eliab.  9And  the  sons  of  Eliab:  Nemuel,  Dathan  and 
Abiram.  These  are  that  Dathan  and  Abiram  who  were  called  to  the  con- 
gregation, who  raised  opposition  to  Moses  and  Aaron  in  the  company  of 
Korah,  when  they  rebelled  against  Jehovah,  10and  the  earth  opened  its  mouth, 
and  swallowed  them  together  with  Korah,  when  that  company  died,  when 
the  fire  devoured  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  they  became  a warning. 
nBut  the  sons  of  Korah  did  not  die.1 


i 22n  I.  e.,  resented,  as  the  Deity  himself,  the  dishonor  to  Jehovah  resulting  from  the  sin  of 
the  people. 

k 2512'  13  Or  assurance. 

§ 100  While  this  chapter  may  contain  some  original  priestly  material,  there  are  many  in- 
dications that  as  a whole  it  is  from  a secondary  source  and  therefore  is  one  of  the  latest  addi- 
tions to  the  Pentateuch.  Thus  the  order  and  names  of  the  tribes  agree  in  general  with  those  of 
the  secondary  passages,  Gen.  468"27,  and  Num.  1.  The  expression,  as  Moses  commanded,  in  4 is 
also  characteristic  of  the  same  strand.  The  introduction  and  especially  3 have  evidently  been 
curtailed.  Different  formulas  are  also  found  in  *-h.  3°-33  and  the  rest  of  the  chapter.  The  sec- 
tion strikingly  illustrates  the  repetitiousness  of  the  later  priestly  writers,  and  the  untiring 
interest  in  genealogies  which  was  characteristic  of  certain  Jewish  circles.  Cf.  Gen.  468-23  and 
the  expanded  parallel  in  I Chrs.  2-9.  Several  variants  in  the  names  have  crept  in  through 
scribal  errors.  In  general  this  chapter  appears  to  represent  the  original  readings. 

1 26n  Probably  a very  late  note  added  to  reconcile  this  story  with  subsequent  references  to 
the  sons  of  Korah,  5S.  Cf.  also  the  titles  of  certain  Pss. 

240 


THE  SECOND  CENSUS 


[Num.  2612 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

12The  sons  of  Simeon  according  to  their  families:  Nemuel,  from  whom  is  simeon- 
descended  the  family  of  the  Nemuelites;  Jamin,  from  whom  is  descended  the  ltes 
family  of  the  Jaminites;  Jachin,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Jachinites;  13Zerah,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Zerahites; 

Shaul,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Shaulites.  14These  are  the 
families  of  the  Simeonites,  twenty-two  thousand,  two  hundred. 

16The  sons  of  Gad  according  to  their  families:  Zephon,  from  whom  is  de-  Gaditea 
scended  the  family  of  the  Zephonites;  Haggi,  from  whom  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Haggites;  Shuni,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Shunites;  16Ozni,m  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Oznites;  Eri,  from 
whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Erites;  17Arod,  from  whom  is  descended 
the  family  of  the  Arodites;  Areli,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Arelites.  18These  are  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Gad  according  to  those  who 
were  numbered  belonging  to  them,  forty  thousand,  five  hundred. 

19The  sons  of  Judah,  Er  and  Onan;  and  Er  and  Onan  died  in  the  land  of  judah- 
Canaan.  20 And  the  sons  of  Judah  according  to  their  families  were:  Shelah,  ltes 
from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Shelanites;  Perez,  from  whom  is 
descended  the  family  of  the  Perezites;  Zerah,  from  whom  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Zerahites.  21  And  the  sons  of  Perez  were:  Hezron,  from  whom  is 
descended  the  family  of  the  Hezronites;  Hamul,  from  whom  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Hamulites.  22These  are  the  families  of  Judah  according  to 
those  who  were  numbered  belonging  to  them,  seventy-six  thousand,  five 
hundred. 

23The  sons  of  Issachar  according  to  their  families:  Tola,  from  whom  is  issach- 
descended  the  family  of  the  Tolaites;  Puvah,  from  whom  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Puvites;  24Jashub,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Jashubites;  Shimron,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Shimronites. 
25These  are  the  families  of  Issachar  according  to  those  who  were  numbered 
belonging  to  them,  sixty-four  thousand,  three  hundred. 

26The  sons  of  Zebulun  according  to  their  families:  Sered,  from  whom  is  Zebu- 
descended  the  family  of  the  Seredites;  Elon,  from  whom  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Elonites;  Jahleel,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Jahleelites.  27These  are  the  families  of  the  Zebulunites  according  to  those 
who  were  numbered  belonging  to  them,  sixty  thousand,  five  hundred. 

28The  sons  of  Joseph  according  to  their  families:  Manasseh  and  Ephraim.  Manas- 
29The  sons  of  Manasseh:  Machir,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Slteb 
Machirites;  Machir  also  begat  Gilead,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family 
of  the  Gileadites.  30These  are  the  sons  of  Gilead:  Iezer,n  from  whom  is 
descended  the  family  of  the  Iezerites;  Helek,  from  whom  is  descended,  the 
family  of  the  Helekites;  31and  Asriel,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of 
the  Asrielites;  and  Shechem,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Shechemites;  32and  Shemida,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Shemidaites;  and  Hepher,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family. of  the  Hepher- 
ites.  33And  Zelophehad  the  son  of  Hepher  had  no  sons,  but  daughters;  and 

m 2616  In  Gen.  4611,  Ezbon. 

■ 2630  Evidently  a variant  of  Abiezer.  Cf.  Josh.  172,  Judg.  6U,  24,  34. 

241 


Num.  2633]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN 

Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

the  names  of  the  daughters  of  Zelophehad  were  Mahlah,  Noah,  Hoglah, 
Milcah,  and  Tirzah.  34These  are  the  families  of  Manasseh;  and  they  who 
were  numbered  belonging  to  them  were  fifty-two  thousand,  seven  hundred. 
Eph-  35These  are  the  sons  of  Ephraim  according  to  their  families:  Shuthelah, 
from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Shuthelahites ;°  Tahan,  from  whom 
is  descended  the  family  of  the  Tahanites.  36 And  these  are  the  sons  of  Shu- 
thelah: Eran,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Eranites.  37These 
are  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Ephraim  according  to  those  who  were  numbered 
belonging  to  them,  thirty-two  thousand,  five  hundred.  These  are  the  sons 
of  Joseph  according  to  their  families. 

Benja-  38The  sons  of  Benjamin  according  to  their  families:  Bela,  from  whom  is 
mitea  descended  the  family  of  the  Belaites;  Beeher,0  from  whom  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Becherites;  Ashbel,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Ashbelites;  Ahiram,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Ahiramites; 
39Shephupham,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Shephuphamites ; 
Hupham,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Huphamites.  40 And 
the  sons  of  Bela  were  Ard  and  Naaman:  from  the  former  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Ardites;  from  Naaman,  the  family  of  the  Naamites.  41These 
are  the  sons  of  Benjamin  according  to  their  families;  and  they  who  were 
numbered  belonging  to  them  were  forty-five  thousand,  six  hundred. 

Danites  42These  are  the  sons  of  Dan  according  to  their  families:  Shuham,  from 
whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Shuhamites.  These  are  the  families  of  Dan 
according  to  their  families.  43 All  the  families  of  the  Shuhamites,  according 
to  those  who  were  numbered  belonging  to  them,  were  sixty-four  thousand, 
four  hundred. 

Asher-  44The  sons  of  Asher  according  to  their  families:  Imnah,  from  whom  is 
ltee  descended  the  family  of  the  Imnites;  Ishvi,  from  whom  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Ishvites;  Beriah,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Beriites.  45Of  the  sons  of  Beriah:  Heber,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family 
of  the  Heberites;  Malchiel,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Mal- 
chielites.  46And  the  name  of  the  daughter  of  Asher  was  Serah.  47These 
are  the  families  of  the  sons  of  Asher  according  to  those  who  were  numbered 
belonging  to  them,  fifty-three  thousand,  four  hundred. 

Naphtai-  48The  sons  of  Naphtali  according  to  their  families:  Jahzeel,  from  whom  is 
ites  descended  the  family  of  the  Jahzeelites;  Guni,  from  whom  is  descended  the 
family  of  the  Gunites;  49Jezer,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the 
Jezerites;  Shillem,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Shillemites. 
50These  are  the  families  of  Naphtali  according  to  their  families;  and  they  who 
were  numbered  belonging  to  them  were  forty-five  thousand,  four  hundred. 
Totals  51These  are  they  who  were  numbered  belonging  to  the  Israelites,  six  hun- 
dred and  one  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  thirty. 

Method  52  And  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  53 Among  these  the  land  shall  be  apportioned 
?nedthed  as  an  inheritance  according  to  the  number  of  names.  54To  the  large  tribe 

iand  ___ 

° 26s5’38  Heb.  introduces  Beeher  among  sons  of  Ephraim,  but  in  Gen.  4621  Beeher  belongs  to 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  This  is  confirmed  by  I Sam.  91  and  II  Sam.  21'.  The  transference 
of  the  name  to  the  Ephraimite  group  is  probably  due  to  the  error  of  a copyist. 

242 


THE  SECOND  CENSUS 


[Num.  2654 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

thou  shalt  give  a proportionately  large  inheritance,  and  to  the  smaller  tribe 
thou  shalt  give  a proportionately  small  inheritance:  to  each  one  according 
to  those  who  were  numbered  belonging  to  it  shall  its  inheritance  be  given. 
55Yet  the  land  shall  be  divided  by  lot:  according  to  the  names  of  the  tribes 
of  their  fathers  they  shall  inherit.  56According  to  the  lot  shall  their  inheri- 
tance be  divided  between  the  more  numerous  and  the  less  numerous  tribes. 

57And  these  are  they  who  were  numbered  belonging  to  the  Levites  according 
to  their  families:  Gershon,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Gershon- 
ites;  Kohath,  from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Kohathites;  Merari, 
from  whom  is  descended  the  family  of  the  Merarites.  58These  are  the  families 
of  Levi:  the  family  of  the  Libnites,  the  family  of  the  Hebronites,  the  family 
of  the  Mahlites,  the  family  of  the  Mushites,  the  family  of  the  Korahites. 
And  Kohath  begat  Amram.  59And  the  name  of  Amram’s  wife  was  Jochebed, 
the  daughter  of  Levi,  who  was  born  to  Levi  in  Egypt:  and  she  bore  unto 
Amram  Aaron  and  Moses,  and  Miriam  their  sister.  60 And  to  Aaron  were 
born  Nadab  and  Abihu,  Eleazar  and  Ithamar.  61  And  Nadab  and  Abihu 
died  when  they  offered  strange  fire  before  Jehovah.  62And  they  who  were 
numbered  belonging  to  them  were  twenty-three  thousand,  every  male  from 
a month  old  and  upward,  but  they  were  not  numbered  among  the  Israelites, 
because  there  was  no  inheritance  given  them  among  the  Israelites. 

63These  are  they  who  were  numbered  by  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest, 
who  numbered  the  Israelites  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  the  Jordan  at  Jericho. 
64But  among  these  there  was  not  a man  of  those  who  were  numbered  by 
Moses  and  Aaron  the  priest,  who  numbered  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness 
of  Sinai.  65For  Jehovah  had  said  of  them,  They  shall  surely  die  in  the  wil- 
derness. And  there  was  not  left  a man  of  them,  except  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun. 

§ 101.  War  with  Midian,  Num.  2516-18,  31 
Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Num.  25  16And  Jehovah  commanded  Moses,  saying,  17Attack  the  Midian- 
ites,  and  smite  them,  18for  they  attacked  you  with  their  crafty  wiles,  with 
which  they  beguiled  you  in  the  affair  of  Peor  and  of  Cozbi  the  daughter  of 
the  prince  of  Midian,  their  sister  who  was  slain  on  the  day  of  the  plague  in 
the  affair  of  Peor.  31  4And  Jehovah  said  to  Moses,  2Avenge  the  Israelites  on 
the  Midianites;  afterward  thou  shalt  be  gathered  to  thy  father’s  kin. 

3Therefore  Moses  commanded  the  people  saying,  Equip  men  from  among 
you  for  the  war,  that  they  may  go  against  Midian,  to  execute  Jehovah’s 


§ 101  The  introduction  to  this  story  is  found  in  2516-  17,  which  connects  it  with  the  priestly 
account  of  the  zeal  of  Phinehas  against  che  Midianite  temptress,  Cozbi.  Cf.  § 99.  The  evidence 
that  it  is  a very  late  tale  coming  from  the  priestly  school  of  writers  is  complete.  Its  affinities 
are  with  the  fourteenth  chap,  of  Gen.,  and  the  late  additions  to  the  story  of  the  crime  of  the 
Gibeathitesin  Judg.  21,  § 132.  Its  unhistorical  character  is  apparent  in  the  light  of  its  histori- 
cal background,  althougn  it  may  embody  some  older  traditional  data.  It  assumes  the  exist- 
ence of  ceremonial  institutions,  as  for  example,  the  water  of  separation  in  3123,  which  are  peculiar 
to  the  supplemental  priestly  writings.  Eleazar  the  priest  is  raised  above  Moses.  Its  aim  is  to 
establish  the  traditional  basis  of  the  law  regarding  the  distribution  of  booty  (cf . I Sam.  3024-  26) 
and  the  removal  of  ceremonial  uncleanness,  resulting  from  the  contact  with  the  dead. 

243 


Families 
and  to- 
tals of 
the  Le- 
vites 


Caleb 
and 
Joshua 
the  only 
surviv- 
ors from 
the  first 
census 


Com- 
mand to 
attack 
the  Mid- 
ianites 


Success- 
ful cam- 
paign 
led  by 
Ph.ine- 
has  the 
priest 


Disposal 
of  tne 
captives 
and 
booty 


More  in- 
struc- 
tions re- 
garding 
the  cap- 
tlves  and 
booty 


Detailed 
direc- 
tions re- 
garding 
their  cer- 
emonial 
purifica- 
tion 


Jeho- 
vah's 
portion 
of  the 
spoil  for 
tne 
priests 


Num.  31s]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN 

Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

vengeance  on  Midian.  4From  every  tribe  a thousand,  throughout  all  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  shall  you  send  to  the  war.  5So  there  were  furnished  from 
the  thousands  of  Israel,  a thousand  from  each  tribe,  twelve  thousand  armed 
for  war.  6Then  Moses  sent  them,  a thousand  from  each  tribe,  to  the  war, 
together  with  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar  the  priest,  to  the  war,  with  the 
sacred  objects  and  the  trumpets  with  which  to  give  the  alarm  in  his  hand. 
7So  they  made  war  on  Midian,  as  Jehovah  commanded  Moses,  and  slew 
every  male.  8They  also  slew  the  kings  of  Midian  with  the  rest  of  their  slain : 
Evi,  Rekem,  Zur,  Hur,  and  Reba,  the  five  kings  of  Midian;  Balaam,  too, 
the  son  of  Beor,  they  slew  with  the  sword. 

9 And  the  Israelites  took  captive  the  women  of  Midian  with  their  little 
ones.  And  all  their  cattle,  and  all  their  flocks,  and  all  their  goods  they  took 
as  booty.  10But  all  their  cities,  in  the  places  in  which  they  dwelt,  and  all 
their  enclosures  they  burnt  with  fire.  nAnd  they  took  all  the  spoil  and  all 
the  booty  both  of  man  and  of  beast.  12And  they  brought  the  captives,  and 
the  booty  and  the  spoil  to  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  to  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  Israelites  at  the  camp  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  which  are  by  the 
Jordan  at  Jericho. 

13Then  when  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  all  the  princes  of  the 
congregation,  went  forth  to  meet  them  outside  the  camp,  14Moses  was  angry 
with  the  officers  of  the  host,  the  captains  of  thousands  and  the  captains  of 
hundreds,  who  came  from  the  service  of  the  war.  15And  Moses  said  to 
them,  Have  you  saved  all  the  women  alive?  16Behold,  these  caused  the 
Israelites,  through  the  counsel  of  Balaam,  to  break  faith  with  Jehovah  in  the 
affair  of  Peor,  and  so  the  plague  was  among  the  congregation  of  Jehovah. 
17Now  therefore  kill  every  male  among  the  little  ones,  and  kill  every  woman 
who  has  entered  into  marital  relations.  18But  all  the  female  children,  who 
have  not  entered  into  marital  relations,  keep  alive  for  yourselves.  19Now 
encamp  outside  the  camp  seven  days;  whoever  has  killed  any  person,  and 
whoever  has  touched  any  slain,  purify  yourselves  on  the  third  day  and  on 
the  seventh  day,  you  and  your  captives.  20 And  every  garment,  and  all  that 
is  made  of  skin,  and  all  work  of  goats’  hair,  and  all  things  made  of  wood,  you 
shall  purify. 

21  And  Eleazar  the  priest  said  to  the  warriors  who  went  to  the  battle,  This 
is  the  statute  of  the  law  which  Jehovah  hath  commanded  Moses,  22‘Only  the 
gold,  the  silver,  the  brass,  the  iron,  the  tin,  and  the  lead, — 23every  thing  that 
may  be  put  into  the  fire,  shall  you  put  through  the  fire,  that  it  may  be  clean ; 
it  shall  surely  be  purified  by  means  of  the  water  of  impurity ; and  all  that  can 
not  be  put  into  the  fire  you  shall  put  through  water.  24 And  you  shall  wash 
your  clothes  on  the  seventh  day,  and  shall  be  clean;  and  afterwards  you  shall 
come  into  the  camp. 

25Then  Jehovah  commanded  Moses,  26Make  an  estimate  of  the  booty  that 
was  taken,  both  of  man  and  of  beast,  thou,  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  the 
heads  of  the  fathers’  houses  of  the  congregation,  27and  divide  the  booty  into 
two  parts ; between  the  men  skilled  in  war,  who  went  out  to  battle,  and  all 
the  congregation.  28And  levy  a contribution  for  Jehovah  upon  the  warriors 

211 


WAR  WITH  MIDIAN 


[Num.  3128 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

who  went  out  to  battle:  one  in  five  hundred,  of  the  persons,  and  of  the  oxen, 
and  of  the  asses,  and  of  the  flocks:  29take  it  from  their  half,  and  give  it  to 
Eleazar  the  priest,  for  a special  contribution  to  Jehovah.  30And  from  the  Portion 

r 7 i 

Israelites,  half,  thou  shalt  take  one  drawn  out  of  every  fifty,  of  the  persons,  Levites 
of  the  oxen,  of  the  asses,  and  of  the  flocks,  even  of  all  the  cattle,  and  give  them 
to  the  Levites  who  have  charge  of  the  dwelling  of  Jehovah.  31And  Moses 
ind  Eleazar  the  priest  did  as  Jehovah  commanded  Moses. 

32Now  the  booty,  over  and  above  the  booty  which  the  men  of  war  took,  was  Amount 
six  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  sheep,  33and  seventy-two  thousand  spoil6 
oxen,  34and  sixty-one  thousand  asses,  35and  thirty-two  thousand  persons  in  division 
all,  of  the  women  who  had  not  entered  into  marriage  relations  with  a man. 

36 And  the  half,  which  was  the  portion  of  those  who  went  out  to  war,  was  in 
number  three  hundred  and  thirty-seven  thousand,  five  hundred  sheep. 

37 And  Jehovah’s  tribute  of  the  sheep  was  six  hundred  and  seventy -five.  38 And 
the  oxen  were  thirty-six  thousand,  of  which  Jehovah’s  tribute  was  seventy- 
two.  39And  the  asses  were  thirty  thousand,  five  hundred,  of  which  Jehovah’s 
tribute  was  sixty-one.  40And  the  persons  were  sixteen  thousand,  of  whom 
Jehovah’s  tribute  was  thirty-two  persons.  41And  Moses  gave  the  tribute 
which  was  the  contribution  to  Jehovah  to  Eleazar  the  priest,  as  Jehovah 
commanded  Moses. 

42 And  the  Israelites’  half,  which  Moses  divided  from  the  men  who  had  Part  as- 
fought  in  the  war  43(now  the  congregation’s  half  was  three  hundred  and  tcfthe 
thirty  seven  thousand,  five  hundred  sheep,  44and  thirty-six  thousand  oxen,  evi  es 
45and  thirty  thousand,  five  hundred  asses,  46and  sixteen  thousand  persons), 

47evem  of  the  Israelites’  half  Moses  took  one  drawn  out  of  every  fifty,  both  of 
man  and  beast,  and  gave  them  to  the  Levites,  who  had  charge  of  the  dwelling 
of  Jehovah,  as  Jehovah  commanded  Moses. 

48 And  the  officers  who  were  over  the  thousands  of  the  host,  the  captains  Report 
of  thousands,  and  the  captains  of  hundreds,  came  near  to  Moses,  49and  said  ciaiol- 
to  Moses,  Your  servants  have  taken  the  census  of  the  warriors  who  are  under  of’the3 
our  authority,  and  not  a single  man  of  us  is  missing.  50And  we  have  brought  leaders 
as  an  offering  to  Jehovah  what  every  man  has,  objects  of  gold,  ankle- 
;hains,  and  bracelets,  signet-rings,  ear-rings,  and  pendants, p to  make  pro- 
pitiation for  ourselves  before  Jehovah.  61And  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest 
received  the  gold  from  them,  all  the  wrought  objects.  52And  all  the  gold 
of  the  special  offering  that  they  contributed  to  Jehovah,  of  the  captains  of 
thousands,  and  of  the  captains  of  hundreds,  was  sixteen  thousand,  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  shekels ; 63for  the  men  of  war  had  taken  booty,  every  man 
for  himself.  54And  when  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest  received  the  gold 
from  the  captains  of  thousands  and  of  hundreds,  they  brought  it  into  the 
tent  of  meeting,  as  a memorial  for  the  Israelites  before  Jehovah. 

p 3l«)  The  exact  nature  of  several  of  these  objects  is  uncertain. 


245 


Dr.  312] 


FROM  KADESII  TO  THE  JORDAN  [Num.  321 


Assign- 
ment of 
the 
easfc- 
Jordan 
territory 


§ 102.  Settlement  of  the  East-Jordan  Tribes,  Num.  321'38,  Dt.  31M0 


Late  Prophetic 

Dt.  3 12Now  this  land 
we  took  into  our  posses- 
sion at  that  time.  From 
Aroer,  which  is  by  the 
valley  of  the  Arnon,  and 
half  the  hill-country  of 
Gilead,  with  its  cities,  I 
gave  to  the  Reubenites; 
and  to  the  G a d i t e s ; 
13while  the  rest  of  Gilead, 
and  all  Bashan,  the  king- 
dom of  Og,  I gave  to  the 
half-tribe  of  Manasseh, 
even  all  the  region  of  Ar- 
gob.  All  that  Bashan  is 
called  the  land  of  the 
Rephaim.  14Jair  the  Ma- 
nassite  took  all  the  region 
of  Argob,  as  far  as  the 
territory  of  the  Geshurites 
and  the  Maacathites,  and 
called  them  (even  Ba- 
shan) after  his  own  name, 
Havvoth-jair  to  this  day. 
15And  I gave  Gilead  to 
Machir.  16And  to  the 
Reubenites  and  the  Gad- 
ites  I gave  Gilead  even 
to  the  valley  of  the  Arnon, 
the  middle  of  the  valley 
and  the  border,  even  to 
the  river  Jabbok,  which  is 
the  boundary-line  of  the 
Ammonites;  17the  Ara- 
bah  also,  and  the  Jordan 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Num.  33  1Now  the  Reubenites  and  the  Gad-  Request 
ites  had  a very  large  number  of  cattle.  So,  when  Reubtn- 
they  saw  the  land  of  Jazer  and  the  land  of  Gil-  Gadite* 
ead,  and  observed  that  the  district  was  suitable 
for  cattle,  2the  Gadites  and  the  Reubenites  came 
and  spoke  to  Moses  and  Eleazar  the  priest,  and 
to  the  princes  of  the  congregation,  saying,  3Ata- 
roth,  Dibon,  Jazer,  Nimrah,  Heshbon,  Elealeh, 
Sebam,  Nebo,  and  Beon,  The  land  which  Jeho- 
vah smote  before  the  congregation  of  Israel,  is  a 
land  suitable  for  cattle;  and  your  servants,  have 
cattle.  5And  they  said,  If  we  have  found  favor  in 
your  sight,  let  this  land  be  given  to  your  servants 
for  a possession.  Do  not  take  us  across  the 
Jordan. 

6But  Moses  said  to  the  Gadites  and  to  the 
Reubenites,  Shall  your  kinsmen  go  to  war,  while 
you  remain  here?  7And  why  should  you  dis- 
courage the  Israelites  from  going  over  into  the 
land  which  Jehovah  hath  given  them  ? 8Thus  did 
your  fathers,  when  I sent  them  from  Kadesh- 
barnea  to  see  the  land.  9For  when  they  went 
up  to  the  valley  of  Eshcol  and  saw  the  land,  they 
discouraged  the  Israelites  from  going  into  the 
land  which  Jehovah  had  given  them.  10Therefore 
Jehovah’s  anger  was  aroused  in  that  day,  and  he 
took  an  oath  saying,  11  ‘Surely  none  of  the  men 
who  came  out  of  Egypt,  from  twenty  years  old 
and  upward,  shall  see  the  land  which  I promised 
with  an  oath  to  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  be- 
cause they  have  not  fully  followed  me;  12except 
Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenizzite,  and 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun;  beause  they  have  fully 
followed  Jehovah.’  13So  Jehovah’s  anger  was 
kindled  against  Israel,  and  he  made  them  wander 


§ 102  The  presence  of  this  tradition  in  Dt.  312-20  indicates  that  it  was  found  in  the  early  pro- 
phetic sources.  Cf.  also  Dt.  3321.  Certain  passages  in  Num.  31  reveal  the  characteristics  and 
accord  with  the  representation  of  these  earlier  sources.  Thus  3'  ®.  20-27  appear  to  have  been 

taken  from  the  Judean,  and  l|j.  is,  u,  24.  34-3S  from  the  Ephraimite.  They  are  too  fragmentary, 
however,  to  make  possible  the  reconstruction  of  the  original  versions,  and  even  these  quotations 
seem  to  have  been  recast  by  a very  late  priestly  writer,  who  was  acquainted  with  the  story  of 
the  spies  in  its  present  composite  form.  Late  prophetic  (Deuteronomic)  phrases  and  ideas  also 
occur.  The  prominence  of  Eleazar  the  priest  in  38,  and  the  presence  of  certain  expressions, 
peculiar  to  the  latest  priestly  sections,  together  with  other  minor  indications,  confirm  the  con- 
clusion that,  like  most  of  the  material  in  Num.  26-34,  the  account  of  the  settlement  in  321-38 
belongs  to  one  of  the  latest  strata  in  the  O.T.  It  contains  many  reminiscences  of  earlier  inci- 
dents, and  like  many  of  the  later  Jewish  tales,  is  not  without  a certain  variety  and  picturesqu#- 
ness,  which  is  lacking  in  the  original  priestly  narratives. 

246 


The  con- 
ditions 


Dt.  317]  THE  EAST-JORDAN  TRIBES  [Num.  3213 

Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

to  and  fro  in  the  wilderness  forty  years,  until  all 
the  generation  which  had  done  that  which  was 
displeasing  to  Jehovah  had  passed  away. 

14Now  you  have  arisen  in  your  fathers’  stead, 
a brood  of  sinful  men,  to  augment  still  more  the 
fierce  anger  of  Jehovah  toward  Israel.  15For  if 
you  turn  away  from  him,  he  will  once  more  leave 
them  in  the  wilderness;  so  you  will  destroy  all 
this  people. 

16Then  they  came  near  to  him,  and  said,  We 
will  build  sheepfolds  here  for  our  cattle,  and 
cities  for  our  little  ones,  17but  we  ourselves  will 
be  ready  armed  to  go  before  the  Israelites,  until 
we  have  brought  them  to  their  place,  while  our 
little  ones  dwell  in  the  fortified  cities  because  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  land.  18 We  will  not  return 
to  our  houses  until  every  man  of  the  Israelites  has 
entered  into  his  inheritance.  49For  we  will  not 
inherit  with  them  on  the  other  side  of  the  Jordan, 
and  beyond,  because  our  inheritance  has  fallen 
to  us  on  this,  the  eastward  side  of  the  Jordan. 

20Then  Moses  said  to  them,  If  you  will  do  this, 
if  you  will  arm  yourselves  to  go  before  Jehovah 
to  the  war,  21and  every  armed  man  of  you  will 
pass  over  the  Jordan  before  Jehovah,  until  he 
hath  driven  out  his  enemies  from  before  him, 
22and  the  land  is  subdued  before  Jehovah;  then 
afterward  you  shall  return,  and  be  guiltless  to- 
wards Jehovah,  and  towards  Israel;  and  this  land  shall  be  yours  for  a 
possession  before  Jehovah.  23But  if  you  will  not  do  so,  behold,  you  have 
sinned  against  Jehovah;  and  be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out.  24BuiId  you 
cities  for  your  little  ones,  and  folds  for  your  sheep;  and  do  that  which  you 
have  promised  .q  25 And  the  Gadites  and  the  Reubenites  said  to  Moses, 
Your  servants  will  do  as  our  lord  commands.  26Our  little  ones,  our  wives, 
our  flocks,  and  all  our  cattle,  shall  be  there  in  the  cities  of  Gilead,  27but  your 
servants  will  pass  over,  every  man  that  is  armed  for  war,  before  Jehovah 
to  battle,  as  my  lord  says. 

28So  Moses  gave  instructions  concerning  them  to  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  to 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  to  the  heads  of  the  fathers’  houses  of  the  tribes 
of  the  children  of  Israel.  29 And  Moses  said  to  them,  If  the  Gadites  and  the 
Reubenites  will  pass  with  you  over  the  Jordan,  every  man  who  is  armed 
for  battle,  before  Jehovah,  and  the  land  shall  be  subdued  before  you,  then 

a Num.  2.3-'  Heb.,  which  has  gone  forth  from  your  mouth.  Cf.  16'19.  It  is  the  Heb.  idiom 
to  describe  an  oral  promise  or  vow.  Cf.  Num.  303,  Dt.  2323. 

247 


Late  Prophetic 

and  the  border  from 
Chinnereth  even  to  the 
sea  of  Arabah,  the  Salt 
Sea,  under  the  slopes  of 
Pisgah  eastward. 

18And  I commanded 
you  at  that  time,  saying, 
Jehovah  your  God  hath 
given  you  this  land  as  a 
possession.  All  of  you 
who  are  men  of  war  shall 
pass  over  armed  before 
your  brethren  the  Israel- 
ites. 19But  your  wives, 
and  your  little  ones,  and 
your  cattle — I know  that 
you  have  many  cattle — - 
shall  remain  in  your  cities 
which  I have  given  you, 
20until  Jehovah  brings 
your  kinsmen  to  their  des- 
tined homes,  as  he  has 
you,  and  they  also  pos- 
sess the  land  which  Jeho- 
vah your  God  giveth  them 
beyond  the  Jordan.  Then 
shall  you  return  every 
man  to  his  possession, 
which  I have  given  you. 


Their 
promise 
to  aid  in 
ihe  con- 
quest of 
Canaan 


Moses’s 
consent 
to  their 
request 


Their  ac- 
ceptance 
of  the 
condi- 
tions 


Num.  3229]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN 

Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

you  shall  give  them  the  land  of  Gilead  as  a possession.  30But  if  they  will 
not  pass  over  with  you  armed,  they  shall  have  possessions  among  you  in  the 
land  of  Canaan.  31And  the  Gadites  and  the  Reubenites  answered,  saying. 
As  Jehovah  hath  said  to  your  servants,  so  will  we  do.  32We  will  pass  over 
armed  before  Jehovah  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  but  the  possession  of  our 
inheritance  shall  remain  with  us  beyond  the  Jordan. 

Their  33So  Moses  gave  to  them,  to  the  Gadites  and  to  the  Reubenites,  and  to 
the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  the  son  of  Joseph,  the  kingdom  of  Sihon  king  of 
the  Amorites,  and  the  kingdom  of  Og  king  of  Bashan,  the  land,  according  to 
its  cities  with  their  territories,  the  cities  of  the  land  round  about.  34And 
the  Gadites  built  Dibon,  Ataroth,  Aroer,  35Atroth-shophan,  Jazer,  Jogbehah, 
36Beth-nimrah,  and  Beth-haran,  as  fortified  cities,  and  folds  for  sheep. 
37And  the  Reubenites  built  Heshbon,  Elealeh,  Kiriathaim,  38Nebo,  and 
Baal-meon,  (to  be  changed  in  name/)  and  Sibmah,  and  they  gave  other  names 
to  the  cities  which  they  built. 

§ 103.  Directions  regarding  the  Assignment  of  the  Land  of  Canaan, 

Num.  3350-3439 

Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Com-  Num.  33  50Now  Jehovah  spoke  to  Moses  in  the  plains  of  Moab  by  the  Jor- 
destroy  dan  at  Jericho,  saying, 51  Give  this  command  to  the  Israelites.  When  you  cross 
heathen  the  Jordan  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  52you  shall  dispossess  all  the  inhabitants 
anda'is3  of  the  land  from  before  you,  and  destroy  all  their  figured  stones,  and  destroy 
the  Ca-  all  their  molten  images,  and  demolish  all  their  high  places.  53 And  you  shall 
naamtes  [ape  possession  of  the  land,  and  dwell  in  it;  for  to  you  have  I given  the  land 
as  a possession.  54And  you  shall  enter  into  possession  of  the  land  by  lot  ac- 
cording to  your  families,  to  the  larger  family  you  shall  give  a proportionally 
large  inheritance,  and  to  the  small  family  you  shall  give  a proportionately 
small  inheritance:  wherever  the  lot  falls  to  any  family,  it  shall  have  its  pos- 
session; according  to  the  tribes  of  your  fathers  shall  you  enter  into  possession. 
55But  if  you  will  not  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  from  before  you, 
then  those  whom  you  allow  to  remain  of  them  shall  be  as  pricks  in  your  eyes, 
and  as  thorns  in  your  sides,  and  they  shall  harass  you  in  the  land  in  which 
you  dwell.  56 And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that,  as  I intended  to  do  to  them,  so 
I will  do  to  you. 

34  1 And  Jehovah  spoke  to  Moses,  2Command  the  Israelites  and  say  to  them. 


r Num.  32 38  Apparently  a scribal  direction  that  in  reading  some  other  words  be  substituted 
for  these  two  names  which  contain  those  of  heathen  deities.  The  change  of  the  names  Eshbaai 
and  Meribaal  to  Ishbosheth  and  Mephibosheth  ( bosheth  = shame ) in  the  books  of  Samuel  are 
examples  of  the  same  late  Jewish  tendency. 

§ 103  The  language  and  the  underlying  assumption  that  the  chief  problem  after  crossing 
the  Jordan  was  not  the  conquest,  but  the  allotment  of  the  territory  of  Canaan  reveal  the  priestly 
source.  Many  of  the  sites  mentioned  cannot  be  identified.  That  the  boundaries  are  in  part, 
at  least,  only  a late  ideal  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  they  include  certain  territory  in  the  south- 
west never  held  by  the  Hebrews,  even  during  the  days  of  David.  The  land  here  assigned  to  the 
west-Jordan  tribes  is  practically  the  same  as  that  allotted  by  Ezekiel  in  his  programme  for  the 
restoration,  Ezek.  4713-20,  to  the  twelve  tribes.  Many  of  the  same  places  are  mentioned.  It 
seems  probable  that  the  late  priestly  writer  followed  the  ideal  plan  of  the  priest-prophet  of 
the  exile.  The  distribution  of  territory  here  enjoined  is  recorded  in  Josh.  15,  § 119. 

The  primary  purpose  of  the  present  narrative  was  apparently  to  associate  with  Moses  the 
arrangement  for  the  settlement  of  Canaan. 


248 


ASSIGNMENT  OF  THE  LAND  OF  CANAAN  [Num.  341 
Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

When  you  come  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  (this  is  the  land  that  shall  fall  to  you  Bounda- 
as  an  inheritance,  the  land  of  Canaan  according  to  its  boundaries ; 3then  your  the  01 
southern  side  shall  be  from  the  wilderness  of  Zin  along  by  the  side  of  Edom,  Jordan 
and  your  south  frontier  shall  extend  from  the  end  of  the  Salt  Sea  eastward ; on'thV 
4and  your  boundary-line  shall  turn  about  southward  of  the  Scorpion  Pass,  B0Uth 
and  pass  along  to  Zin.  And  its  extremity  shall  be  southward  of  Kadesh-bar- 
nea.  Then  it  shall  go  forth  to  Hazar-addar,  and  pass  along  to  Azmon,  5and 
the  boundary  shall  turn  about  from  Azmon  to  the  brook  of  Egypt,  and  it 
shall  end  at  the  sea. 

6And  for  the  western  boundary  you  shall  have  the  shore  of  the  Great  Sea.s  West 
This  shall  be  your  western  boundary. 

7And  this  shall  be  your  northern  boundary.  From  the  Great  Sea  you  shall  North 
mark  out  for  yourselves  to  Mount  Hor;  8from  Mount  Hor  you  shall  mark 
out  to  the  entrance  of  Hamath;  and  the  extremity  of  the  boundary  shall  be  at 
Zedad;  9then  the  boundary  shall  go  forth  to  Ziphron,  and  its  extremity  shall 
be  at  Hazar-enan.  This  shall  be  your  northern  boundary. 

10And  you  shall  mark  out  your  eastern  boundary-line  from  Hazar-enan  to  East 
Shepham;  11then  the  boundary-line  shall  go  down  from  Shepham  to  HarbeP 
on  the  east  side  of  Ain;  and  the  boundary-line  shall  go  down,  and  shall 
stretch  along  the  hills  that  flank  the  Sea  of  Chinnereth  on  the  east.  12Then 
the  border  shall  go  down  to  the  Jordan,  and  its  extremities  shall  be  at  the  Salt 
Sea.  This  shall  be  your  land  according  to  its  boundaries  round  about. 

13Thus  Moses  commanded  the  Israelites,  saying,  This  is  the  land  which  you  Total 
shall  inherit  by  lot,  which  Jehovah  hath  commanded  to  give  to  the  nine  tribes  to'tieat7 
and  to  the  half-tribe;  14for  the  tribe  of  the  Reubenites  according  to  their  lotted 
fathers’  houses,  and  the  tribe  of  the  Gadites  according  to  their  fathers’  houses 
have  received,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  have  received  their  inheritance; 

15the  two  tribes  and  the  half-tribe  have  received  their  inheritance  beyond 
the  Jordan  at  Jericho  eastward,  toward  the  sunrising. 

16Jehovah  also  said  to  Moses,  17These  are  the  names  of  the  men  who  shall  The 
divide  the  land  to  you  for  inheritance:  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  Joshua  the  son  menus- 
of  Nun.  18And  ye  shall  take  one  prince  from  each  tribe,  to  divide  the  land  tosuper- 
for  inheritance.  19And  these  are  the  names  of  the  men:  from  the  tribe  of  thtfaiiot- 
Judah,  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh.  20 And  from  the  tribe  of  the  Simeonites,  ment 
Shemuel  the  son  of  Ammihud.  21From  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  Elidad  the 
son  of  Chislon.  22And  from  the  tribe  of  the  Danites  a prince,  Bukki  the  son 
of  Jogli.  23From  the  children  of  Joseph:  from  the  tribe  of  the  Manassites  a 
prince,  Hanniel  the  son  of  Ephod.  24And  from  the  tribe  of  the  Ephraimites  a 
prince,  Kemuel  the  son  of  Shiphtan.  25And  from  the  tribe  of  the  Zebulunites 
a prince,  Elizaphan  the  son  of  Parnach.  26And  from  the  tribe  of  the  Issa- 
charites  a prince,  Paltiel  the  son  of  Azzan.  27 And  from  the  tribe  of  the  Asher- 
ites  a prince,  Ahihud  the  son  of  Shelomi.  28And  from  the  tribe  of  the  Naphtal- 
ites  a prince,  Pedahel  the  son  of  Ammihud.  29These  are  they  whom  Jehovah 
commanded  to  divide  the  inheritance  to  the  Israelites  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 


■ 3411  Heb.,  Great  Sea  and  boundary.  Cf.  also  Dt.  316,  Josh.  1323. 

* 3410  Reading  doubtful,  and  the  identification  still  more  so.  Another  reading  is  Riblah. 

249 


Dt.  3114,  321]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN  [Dt.  3248 


104.  Moses’s  Farewell  and  Appointment  of  Joshua  as  his  Successor, 

Num.  2712~23,  Dt.  321-29,  311-8'  16«  23,  3248-52 


Jeho  Ephraimite 
com-3  D t . 31 

Moses ^to  uThen  Jeho- 
ForSsB  vah  said  t o 
death  Moses,  Be- 

hold, thy 
time  ap- 
proaches that 
thou  must 
die;  call  Josh- 
ua, and  pre- 
sent your- 
selves in  the 
tent  of  meet- 
ing, that  I 
may  give  him 
a charge. 
And  Moses 
and  Joshua 
went  and  pre- 
sented them- 
selves in  the 
tent  of  meet- 
ing. 15A  n d 
Jehovah  ap- 
peared in  the 
tent  in  a pil- 
lar of  cloud; 
and  the  pil- 
lar of  cloud 
stood  over  the 
door  of  the 
tent. 


Late  Prophetic 

Dt.  3 21I  also  commanded 
Joshua  at  that  time,  saying, 
‘Your  eyes  have  seen  all  that  Je- 
hovah your  God  hath  done  to 
these  two  kings  [Sihon  and  Og]; 
so  shall  Jehovah  do  to  all  the 
kingdoms  to  which  you  are  going 
over.  22 You  shall  not  fear  them; 
for  Jehovah  your  God,  he  it  is 
that  fighteth  for  you.’ 

23 And  I besought  Jehovah  at 
that  time,  saying,  24‘0  Lord  Je- 
hovah, thou  hast  begun  to  show 
thy  servant  thy  greatness  and  thy 
mighty  power;  for  what  god  is 
there  in  heaven  or  in  earth  who 
can  do  such  deeds  and  such 
mighty  acts  as  thine?  25Let  me 
go  over,  I pray  thee,  and  see  the 
good  land  that  is  beyond  the  Jor- 
dan, that  good  hill-country  and 
Lebanon.’  26But  Jehovah  was 
angry  with  me  because  of  you, 
and  hearkened  not  to  me;  and 
Jehovah  said  to  me,  ‘Enough, 
speak  no  more  to  me  of  this  mat- 
ter. 27Go  up  to  the  top  of  Pisgah 
and  lift  up  thine  eyes  westward 
and  northward  and  southward 
and  eastward,  and  see  with  thine 
eyes;  for  thou  shalt  not  go  over 
this  Jordan.  28But  commission 
Joshua  and  encourage  him  and 
strengthen  him;  for  he  shall  go 
over  before  this  people  and  shall 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Dt.  33  (Num.  27 12'14) 
48 And  Jehovah  spoke  to 
Moses  on  the  same  day, 
saying,  49Go  up  into  this 
mountain  of  the  Abarim, 
to  Mount  Nebo,  which  is 
in  the  land  of  Moab, 
fronting  J ericho ; and  view 
the  land  of  Canaan,  which 
I am  about  to  give  to  the 
Israelites  for  a possession; 
50and  die  in  the  mountain 
up  which  thou  art  going, 
and  be  gathered  to  thy 
father’s  kin,  as  Aaron  thy 
brother  died  in  Mount 
Hor,  and  was  gathered 
unto  his  father’s  kin ; ^be- 
cause ye  broke  faith  with 
me  in  the  midst  of  the 
Israelites  at  the  waters 
of  Merib  ah-K ad e si  i , u in 
the  wilderness  of  Zin; 
because  ye  did  not  treat 
me  as  holy  in  the  midst 
of  the  Israelites.  52For 
thou  shalt  see  the  land 
from  a distance;  but 
thou  shalt  not  go  thither 
into  the  land  which  I am 
about  to  give  the  Israel- 
ites. 


§ 104  Since  the  book  of  Joshua  was  originally  the  immediate  sequel  of  Num.,  it  is  natural 
that  Dt.  should  duplicate  some  of  the  statements  in  Num.  This  is  especially  obvious  in  Dt. 
3248-5i>  which  is  almost  word  for  word  identical  with  Num.  2712-'4.  Both  contain  the  expres- 
sions and  references  to  incidents  peculiar  to  the  priestly  source.  Cf.  § 87.  The  passage  in  Dt. 
32  probably  once  stood  before  Num.  2716.  It  contains  the  fuller  statement,  while  Num.  27u-p 
appears  to  be  an  editorial  summary  later  substituted  for  it.  The  phraseology  and  the  promi- 
nence of  Eleazar  the  priest  indicate  that  Num.  2715-23  is  from  the  same  source  as  Dt.  3248-52. 

The  early  Judean  narratives  in  Num.  at  least  contain  no  references  to  Joshua.  Dt.  31H-  >*•  2h 
however,  is  a quotation  from  an  earlier  source  which  is  evidently  the  Ephraimite,  as  is  shown 
by  the  references  to  the  tent  of  meeting,  the  pillar  of  the  cloud,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun. 

“ Dt.  325i  cf.  § 88. 


250 


Dt.  3123,  329] 


APPOINTMENT  OF  JOSHUA 


[Num.  2715 


Early 

Ephraimite 


23And  lie 
gave  Joshua 
the  son  of 
Nun  a charge 
saying.  Be 
courageous 
and  strong; 
for  thou  shalt 
bring  the 
children  o f 
Israel  into 
the  land 
which  I 
promised 
them  with  an 
oath ; and  I 
will  be  with 
thee. 


Late  Prophetic 

bring  them  into  possession  of  the 
land  which  thou  shalt  see.’  29So 
we  abode  in  the  valley  opposite 
Beth-peor. 

31 1And  Moses  went  and  spoke 
these  words  to  all  Israel.  2And 
he  said  to  them,  I am  a hundred 
and  twenty  years  old  this  day;  I 
can  no  more  go  out  and  come  in; 
and  Jehovah  hath  said  to  me, 
‘Thou  shalt  not  go  over  this  Jor- 
dan.’ 3Jehovah  thy  God,  he  is 
going  over  before  thee;  he  will 
destroy  these  nations  from  before 
thee  and  thou  shalt  dispossess 
them;  and  Joshua  is  going  over 
before  thee,  as  Jehovah  hath 
commanded.  4And  Jehovah  will 
do  to  them  as  he  did  to  Sihon 
and  to  Og,  the  kings  of  the  Amor- 
ites  whom  he  destroyed,  and  to 
their  land.  5And  Jehovah  will 
deliver  them  up  before  you,  and 
you  shall  do  to  them  according 
to  all  the  commandment  which 
I have  commanded  you.  6Be 
courageous  and  strong,  fear  not, 
neither  be  terrified  before  them; 
for  Jehovah  thy  God,  he  it  is 
that  goeth  with  thee;  he  will 
not  fail  thee  nor  forsake  thee. 
7Moses  also  called  to  Joshua  and 
said  to  him  in  the  sight  of  all 
Israel,  Be  courageous  and  strong; 
for  thou  shalt  go  with  this  people 
into  the  land  which  Jehovah 
hath  sworn  to  their  fathers  to 
give  them ; and  thou  shalt  cause 
them  to  inherit  it.  8And  Jeho- 
vah, he  it  is  that  goes  before 
thee;  he  will  be  with  thee,  he  will 
not  fail  thee,  neither  forsake  thee; 
fear  not,  neither  be  dismayed. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 


Num.  27  15And  Moses 
spoke  to  Jehovah,  saying, 
16Let  Jehovah,  the  God  of 
the  spirits  of  all  flesh,  ap- 
point a man  over  the  con- 
gregation, 17who  may  go 
out  before  them  and  who 
may  come  in  before  them 
and  who  may  lead  them 
out  and  who  may  bring 
them  in,  that  the  congre- 
gation of  Jehovah  be  not 
as  sheep  without  a shep- 
herd. 18 And  Jehovah  said 
to  Moses,  Take  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun,  a man 
in  whom  is  the  spirit,  and 
lay  thy  hand  upon  him, 
19and  set  him  before 
Eleazar  the  priest  and  be- 
fore all  the  congregation; 
and  commission  him  in 
their  sight.  20And  thou 
shalt  bestow  some  of  thy 
majesty  upon  him,  that 
all  the  congregation  of  the 
Israelites  may  obey.21  And 
he  shall  stand  before 
Eleazar  the  priest,  who 
shall  inquire  for  him  by 
the  decision  of  the  sacred 
lotv  before  Jehovah.  At 
his  command  shall  they  go 
out,  and  at  his  command 
they  shall  come  in,  both 
he  and  all  the  Israelites 
with  him,  even  all  the  con- 
gregation. 22Thus  Moses 
did  as  Jehovah  command- 


» Num.  2721  Heb.,  Urim.  From  the  Gr.  version  of  I Sam.  1441_. 42  and  other  O.T.  references, 
it  is  evident  that  the  Urim  and  Thummim  were  used  to  determine  the  divine  will  by  casting 
lots.  The  exact  method,  however,  is  unknown. 

251 


$*9 


The  clos- 
ing 

scenes  of 
Moses’s 

life 


Num.  2722]  FROM  KADESH  TO  THE  JORDAN 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

ed  him;  and  he  took  Joshua,  and  set  him  before  Eleazar  the  priest  and  all 
the  congregation;  23and  he  laid  his  hands  upon  him  and  commissioned 
him,  as  Jehovah  commanded  by  Moses. 


Early  Judean 

Dt.  34  Then  Mo- 
ses went  up  to lb 'dthe 
top  of  Pisgah.  And 
Jehovah  showed  him 
all  the  land,  even  Gil- 
ead as  far  as  Dan,  2and 
all  Napbtali  and  the 
land  of  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh  and  all  the 
land  of  Judah  as  far  as 
the  Mediterranean,™ 
3and  the  South  Country, 
and  the  Plain  of  the  val- 
ley of  Jericho,  the  city 
of  palm-trees,  as  far  as 
Zoar.  4And  Jehovah 
said  to  him.  This  is 
the  land  which  I 
promised  with  an 
oath  to  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
saying,  ‘I  will  give  it 
to  thy  descendants;’ 
I have  caused  thee 
to  see  it  with  thine 
eyes,  but  thou  shalt 
not  go  over  thither. 


§ 105.  Death  of  Moses,  Dt.  34 


Ephraimite  Prophetic 

34  5aSo  Moses  the 
servant  of  Jehovah  died 
there  in  the  land  of  Mo- 
ab.  6 And  he  buried 
him  in  the  ravine  in  the 
land  of  Moab  over 
against  Beth-Peor;  but 
to  this  day  no  man 
knows  of  his  burial- 
place.  10And  there  has 
not  arisen  a prophet 
since  in  Israel  like 
Moses,  whom  Jehovah 
knew  face  to  face,  nas 
regards  all  the  signs  and  the 
wonders,  which  Jehovah 
sent  him  to  do  in  Egypt,  to 
Pharaoh  and  to  all  his  ser- 
vants and  to  all  his  land, 
12and  as  regards  all  the 
deeds  of  power2  and  all  the 
great  terror,  which  Moses 
wrought  in  the  sight  of  all 
Israel. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

34  la,  crphen  Moses  went 
up  from  the  plains  of  Moab 
to  Mount  Nebo,  which 
fronts  Jericho  and  died 
there  5baccording  to  the 
commandx  of  Jehovah. 
7And  Moses  was  a hundred 
and  twenty  years  old  when 
he  died ; his  eye  was  not  dim, 
neither  had  his  natural 
force  abated. y 8And  the 
Israelites  wept  for  Moses  in 
the  plains  of  Moab  thirty 
days;  so  the  days  of  weep- 
ing in  the  mourning  for 
Moses  were  ended. 

9 And  Joshua  the  son  of 
Nun  was  filled  with  the 
spirit  of  wisdom;  for  Moses 
had  laid  his  hands  upon 
him;  and  the  Israelites 
hearkened  to  him  and  did 
as  Jehovah  commanded 
Moses. 


§ 105  Traces  of  each  of  the  different  narratives  are  found  in  this  brief  section.  It  was 
natural  that  they  should  all  record  the  death  of  the  great  leader  who  left  the  stamp  of  his  per- 
sonality upon  his  own,  and  all  succeeding  ages,  and  that  later  editors  should  preserve  every 
fragment.  The  priestly  formulas  and  point  of  view  are  clearly  discernible  in  7*9,  which  is  the 
sequel  to  Num.  2712"23,  § 104  The  introduction  to  this  version  is  found  in  la-  c..  Vs.  4a  repeats 
the  Judean  passage,  Ex.  331.  Vs.  4 is  the  sequel  to  lb-  d.  The  geographical  data  in  2-  3 has  prob- 
ably been  recast  by  a later  editor.  The  Sam.  reads,  from  the  river  of  Egypt  to  the  great  river, 
the  river  Euphrates  even  to  the  western  sea.  Cf . Dt.  1 124.  The  interest  in  Moses’s  prophetic  activity 
in  40  and  the  fact  that  10b  repeats  Ex.  33u,  all  reveal  the  Ephraimite  source.  Vss.  u'  12  are  edi- 
torial expansions.  The  phraseology  of  5a.  b,  however,  connects  them  with  the  earlier  narratives. 
w 342  Heb.,  hinder  sea,  i.  e.,  western.  So  ll24. 

1 345b  Heb.,  mouth.  Cf.  Num.  316'  39,  4s7, 41,  etc. 
y 347  Heb.,  his  freshness  lied. 
z 3412  Heb.,  mighty  hand. 


252 


THE  CONQUEST  AND  SETTLEMENT  Ob 

CANAAN 

Joshua,  Judges,  and  Ruth 


THE  CONQUEST  AND  SETTLEMENT  OF 

CANAAN 


I 

INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN,  Josh.  U-S29,  9-12,  132a-6, 

1513-19,  63  2I43-45 


§ 106.  The  Summons  to  Conquest,  Josh.  1 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Josh.  1 xNow  it  came  to  pass  after  the  death  of  Moses,  the  servant  of  Jeho- 
vah, that  Jehovah  said  to  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  the  attendant  of  Moses: 
2Mo«cs  my  servant  is  dead;  now  arise,  go  over  this  Jordan  with  all  this  people 


Initial  Conquests  in  Canaan. — The  book  of  Joshua  reveals  at  every  point  careful  ar- 
rangement and  editorial  revision  (cf.  Introd.,  pp.  25,  26).  In  the  first  division,  1-12,  which 
contains  the  traditions  of  the  conquest,  there  are  few  traces  of  the  late  priestly  narratives,  ex- 
cept at  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan,  § 108.  The  prophetic  style  and  point  of  view  prevails  through- 
out. While  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  strands  cannot  be  distinguished  with  as  much  assur- 
ance as  in  the  Pentateuch,  yet  enough  of  their  characteristics  appear  to  leave  little  doubt  that 
they  are  the  basis  of  these  stories;  and  while  the  extracts  from  them  have  been  very  closely 
combined  and  harmonized  and  then  later  supplemented  by  prophetic  editors,  an  analysis  is 
possible.  The  question,  however,  remains,  “Were  the  original  sources  here  quoted,  the  early 
or  the  later  prophetic  narratives?”  This  must  be  answered  specifically  in  connection  with  each 
story.  Certain  general  data  must  also  be  taken  into  consideration;  the  representation  of  these 
chapters  that  the  conquest  of  Canaan  was  completed  during  the  lifetime  of  Joshua,  and  accom- 
plished by  the  united  action  of  all  the  tribes,  is  contradicted  by  the  plain  testimony  of  the  primi- 
tive traditions  in  the  book  of  Judges  and  especially  the  first  chapter.  Cf.  note  § 114.  The  entire 
land  did  not  become  the  possession  of  the  Hebrews  until  the  days  of  David.  Traditions  which 
compressed  the  events  of  a century  or  two  into  less  than  a decade  could  only  arise  generations 
later. 

In  the  brief  ancient  tradition  of  the  conquest  in  Judg.  1,  which  is  universally  attributed  to 
the  early  Judean  source,  Joshua  does  not  appear  and  the  different  tribes  independently  gain  a 
partial  foothold  for  themselves  in  Canaan.  Verbatim  quotations  from  this  same  primitive 
source  are  also  found  in  Joshua,  and  in  certain  other  passages,  cf.  §i>  107,  113,  the  men  of  Israel 
are  represented  as  taking  the  initiative,  while  Joshua  suddenly  disappears  from  the  story. 
These  and  linguistic  variations  indicate  that  the  majority  of  the  Judean  narratives  in  Josh,  are 
probably  from  a later  strand,  possibly  a revision  of  the  early  Judean  traditions  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Northern  Israelitish  version,  which  made  Joshua  the  leader  of  all  the  tribes.  The 
later,  however,  never  entirely  superseded  the  earlier  Judean  version.  Furthermore  it  is  prob- 
able that  the  Ephraimite  parallels  have  themselves  undergone  revision.  As  a natural  result  of 
their  origin,  the  two  prophetic  narratives  are  very  similar — a fact  which  adds  to  the  difficulty 
of  distinguishing  in  every  case  between  the  two. 

Even  though  Joshua  does  not  figure  in  the  original  Judean  version,  it  does  not  follow  that 
he  was  simply  a creation  of  later  traditions.  No  certain  analogies  can  be  adduced  in  support 
of  this  position.  It  is  more  probable  that  he  was  the  leader  of  the  northern  tribes  and  may  also 
have  been  at  the  head  of  a general  Israelitish  movement,  which  swept  across  the  Jordan  and 
over  the  walls  of  Jericho  (and  possibly  Ai  and  Bethel),  thence  dividing,  as  the  different  tribes 
went  up  to  the  conquest  of  the  territory  which  they  later  occupied. 

§ 106  The  process  of  editorial  revision  and  expansion,  which  is  so  prominent  in  Joshua,  is 
well  illustrated  in  chap.  1.  Vss.  i.  2.  io,  lia  are  evidently  taken  from  the  early  Ephraimite  pro- 
phetic narratives.  Cf.  characteristic  expressions:  arise , three  days,  and  provisions.  The  rest 
of  the  chapter  has  the  unmistakable  ideas,  expressions  and  style  of  the  late  prophetic  or  Deu- 
teronomic  group  of  writers.  The  passage  3-9  is  an  expansion  of  *•  2 from  the  point  of  view  of 
Dt.  ll24b;  llb.  18  are  apparently  a still  later  expansion  of  10.  Us.  Some  of  these  latest  additions 
were  perhaps  made  in  the  Heb.,  subsequent  to  the  Gk.  translation,  for  they  are  not  found  in  the 
latter.  The  chapter  as  a whole  constitutes  a fitting  introduction  to  the  book  and  especially  to 
the  stories  of  the  initial  conquests  in  Canaan. 

255 


Jeho- 
vah’s di- 
rections 
to  Josh- 
ua 


Com- 
mand to 
prepare 
tor  the 
conquest 


Special 
direc- 
tions to 
the  east- 
Jordan 
tribes 


Josh.  I2]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN 
Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

to  the  land  which  I am  about  to  give  to  the  Israelites.3  3Every  place  upon 
which  the  sole  of  thy  foot  shall  tread,  to  thee  will  I give  it,  as  I promised  Moses. 
4From  the  wilderness  and  this  Lebanon,  even  to  the  great  river,  the  river 
Euphrates,  all  the  land  of  the  Hittites,b  and  as  far  as  the  Great  Sea  toward  the 
setting  sun  shall  be  your  boundary.  5No  one  shall  be  able  to  stand  against 
thee  all  the  days  of  thy  life;  as  I was  with  Moses  so  I will  be  with  thee;  I will 
not  fail  thee  nor  forsake  thee.  6Be  courageous  and  strong;  for  thou  shalt 
bring  this  people  into  possession  of  the  land  which  I swore  to  their  fathers 
to  give  them.  7Only  be  very  courageous  and  strong,  to  observe  faithfully  all 
the  law  which  Moses  my  servant  commanded  thee ; do  not  turn  from  it  to  the 
right  hand  or  to  the  left,  that  thou  mayest  have  success0  wherever  thou  goest. 
8This  law-book  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth,  but  thou  shalt  meditate  on 
it  day  and  night,  that  thou  mayest  observe  faithfully  all  that  is  written  in 
it;  for  then  thou  shalt  make  thy  way  prosperous,  and  shaft  have  success.0 
9 Have  I not  commanded  thee?  Be  courageous  and  strong!  Fear  not,  neither 
be  dismayed,  for  Jehovah  thy  God  is  with  thee  wherever  thou  goest. 

10Then  Joshua  commanded  the  officers  of  the  people  saying,  11Pass 
through  the  midst  of  the  camp  and  command  the  people  saying,  ‘Prepare 
provisions  for  yourselves,  for  within  three  days  you  are  to  pass  over  this 
Jordan4  to  go  in  to  possess  the  land  which  Jehovah  your  God  is  giving  you 
as  a possession.’ 

12Also  to  the  Reubenites  and  the  Gadites  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh 
Joshua  said,  13Remember  the  command  which  Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah 
gave  you,  when  he  said,  ‘Jehovah  your  God  is  about  to  bring  you  to  a settled 
abodee  and  will  give  you  this  land.’  14Your  wives  and  your  little  ones  and 
your  cattle  shall  remain  in  the  land  which  Moses  gave  you  ;f  but  you — as  many 
of  you  as  are  able  to  fight — shall  pass  over  armed  before  your  kinsmen  and 
shall  help  them,  15until  Jehovah  hath  given  a settled  abode  to  your  kinsmen  as 
to  you  and  they  also  have  taken  possession  of  the  land  which  Jehovah  your 
God  is  about  to  give  them.  Then  you  shall  return  to  the  land  of  your  posses- 
sion,6 which  Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah  gave  you  beyond  the  Jordan  toward 
the  rising  sun.  16And  they  answered  Joshua  saying,  All  that  you  have  com- 
manded us  we  will  do,  and  wherever  you  send  us  we  will  go.  17As  we  obeyed 


» l2  Heb.,  to  them,  to  the  Israelites.  Gk.  has  simply  to  them.  Lat.,  to  the  sons  of  Israel. 
b l4  Meaning  doubtful,  cf.  Dt.  II24.  Here  the  author  seems  to  be  defining  the  boundaries: 
the  wilderness  on  the  south;  Lebanon  (Gk.,  Anti-Lebanon)  and  the  Euphrates  seem  to  repre- 
sent the  eastern  boundaries;  possibly  all  the  land  of  the  Hittites  stands  for  the  northern,  as  the 
Mediterranean  for  the  western  boundary. 

c l7.  8 Heb.,  verb  has  the  double  meaning  of  acting  wisely  and  succeeding  as  the  result. 
d jio.  li » It  has  been  suggested  that  these  verses  should  follow  the  story  of  the  spies  in  2 and 
stand  at  the  beginning  of  the  Ephraimite  prophetic  account  of  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan  in  3, 
since  (1)  the  episode  and  report  of  the  spies  should  logically  precede  the  preparations  for  the 
invasion;  and  (2)  an  interval  of  three  days  was  not  sufficient  for  their  journey.  But  in  the 
Ephraimite  narratives  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan  is  divinely  ordered,  l2,  and  three  days  is  a 
characteristic  expression  for  a short  period,  cf.  216.  22,  32,  and  in  many  other  passages.  Josh.  2 
implies  that  the  spies  were  not  gone  more  than  three  days,  22.  s. 

e l’3  Heb.,  is  giving  you  rest.  Gk.,  hath  given  you.  This  may  well  represent  the  original. 

1 l14  So  Gk.  Heb.  adds  beyond  Jordan.  This  is  evidently  a late  scribal  note,  written  from 
the  point  of  view  of  the  west-Jordan  (probably  Jerusalem),  although  the  context  clearly  implies 
that  Joshua  had  not  yet  crossed  the  Jordan.  The  note  is  based  on  Dt.  320. 

e l16  So  Gk.  Heb.  adds  and  possess  it.  But  this  clause  interrupts  the  thought  of  the  sen- 
tence and  is  probably  a scribal  addition. 


256 


THE  SUMMONS  TO  CONQUEST  [Josh.  I1? 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Moses  in  all  things,  so  will  we  obey  you.  Only  may  Jehovah  your  God  be 
with  you,  as  he  was  with  Moses.  18Any  one  who  shall  rebel  against  your 
command  and  shall  not  obey  your  words  in  all  that  you  command  him,  shall 
be  put  to  death;  only  be  courageous  and  strong. 

§ 107.  Spies  at 


Early  Judean 

Josh.  2 2Now  it  was  told  the 
king  of  Jericho,  saying,  There  came 
some  men  here  to-night  from  the 
Israelites  to  explore  the  land.  3bAnd 
the  king  of  Jericho  sent  to  Rahab 
saying,  Bring  forth  the  men  who  have 
come  to  you,  for  they  have  come  to 
explore  all  the  land.  4a’cAnd  she  said, 
It  is  true,  some  men  came  to  me, 
but  I did  not  know  where  they  came 
from,  5bnor  do  I know  whither  they 
have  gone.  6She  had,  however, 
brought  them  up  to  the  roof  and 
hid  them  with  the  stalks  of  flax  which 
she  had  laid  in  order  upon  the  roof. 


8But  before  they  had  lain  down, 
she  came  up  to  them  on  the  roof,  9and 
said  to  the  men,  I know  that  Jehovah 
hath  given  you  the  land,  and  that  ter- 
ror because  of  you  has  fallen  upon  us,  and 
that  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  are  los- 
ing heart*1  before  you.  10For  we  have  heard 


Jericho,  Josh.  2 

Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

2 xThen  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  Conceai- 
sent  secretly  from  Shittim  two  men  thensp?ef 
as  spies,  saying,  Go  view  the  land  hab^ 
and  especially  Jericho.  So  they  went 
and  entered  the  house  of  a harlot 
whose  name  was  Rahab,  and  lay  down 
there.  3bAnd  the  men  of  Jericho  came 
to  Rahab  and  said,  Bring  forth  the 
two  men,  who  came  to  your  house. 

4aNow  the  woman  had  taken  the  two 
men  and  hidden  them,  5awhen  the 
time  came  to  shut  the  gate  at  nightfall. 

^So  she  said,  Pursue  them  quickly,  for 
you  will  overtake  them.  7Accordingly 
the  men  pursued  them  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Jordan  opposite  the  fords, 
and  as  soon  as  they  that  pursued  after 
them  had  gone  out,  they  shut  the  gate. 

13But  Rahab  said  to  the  men,  Swear  Their 
that  you  will  save  alive  my  father  iuSab 
and  my  mother  and  my  brothers,  their e» 
and  my  sisters,  together  with  all  that  from 
they  have,  and  will  deliver  our  lives  Jericho 
from  death.  14aAnd  the  men  said  to 


§ 107  At  the  first  glance  this  story  seems  to  be  a complete  literary  unit.  It  contains, 
however,  many  indications  that  two  originally  distinct  versions  have  been  very  closely  fused 
together.  The  more  important  indices  are:  doublets  in  4a>  6a»  21b-  72a\  variations  in  repre- 
sentation; in  8 the  men  are  hid  on  the  roof,  while  according  to  15  they  are  let  down  from  the 
window;  also  the  conversation,  recorded  in  12-  14>  18‘20,  is  interrupted  by  the  account  of  Rahab’s 
letting  down  the  men,  so  that  it  must  have  been  necessary  for  them  to  shout  to  each  other, 
although  the  story  implies  that  great  secrecy  was  necessary.  Again  in  21  her  sending  away  the 
men  is  narrated.  The  enumeration  of  those  who  are  to  be  saved  also  differs:  in  12 ■ 18  it  is  simply 
Rahab’s  father  and  household,  but  in  13  her  sisters’  households  are  also  included.  Moreover 
the  narratives,  when  separated  and  carefully  compared,  present  many  variations  in  details,  so 
that  on  the  whole  the  evidence  for  the  presence  of  two  different  versions  seems  reasonably  con- 
clusive, although  the  analysis  at  certain  points  is  not  absolutely  assured.  Both  versions  are 
evidently  early:  the  one  havingthe  characteristics  of  the  Judean,  and  the  other  (cf.,e.  g.,  Joshua 
the  son  of  Nun)  those  of  the  Ephraimite  narratives.  These  peculiarities,  however,  are  not 
nearly  as  marked  as  in  the  preceding  books.  Cf.  further  note  § 110. 

The  real  historical  significance  of  these  primitive  stories  is  probably  to  be  found,  not  in  the 
information  which  the  spies  brought  back,  but  in  the  fact  that  the  Israelites  had  allies  in  Jericho. 
The  facility  with  which  they  entered  its  walls,  when  the  opportune  moment  for  attack  came, 
620,  may  have  been  due  to  the  co-operation  of  the  tribe  of  Rahab.  Judg.  Instates  that  the  Ken- 
ites  went  up  out  of  the  city  of  palms  (Jericho)  with  the  tribe  of  Judah. 

h 29  Heb.,  are  melting  away.  In  11  the  fuller  form  of  the  idiom  occurs,  our  hearts  melted.  Cf. 
also 24.  While  the  idiom  is  striking  and  picturesque,  it  unfortunately  has  quite  a different  mean- 
ing in  the  English. 


257 


Prelimi- 
nary in- 
struc- 
tions re- 
garding 
the  man- 
ner of 
crossing 


Josh.  210]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh.  214a 


Early  Judean 

how  Jehovah  dried  up  the  water  of  the  Red 
Sea  before  you  when  you  came  out  of  Egypt, 
and  what  you  did  to  the  two  kings  of  the 
Amorites  that  were  beyond  the  Jordan,  to 
Sihon  and  Og,  whom  you  utterly  destroyed. 
nAnd  as  soon  as  we  had  heard  it,  we  lost 
heart  completely,  neither  did  there  re- 
main any  more  spirit  in  any  mah  because 
of  you  ; for  Jehovah  your  God  is  indeed 
God  in  heaven  above  and  on  earth  beneath.' 
12Now  therefore  swear  to  me  by  Je- 
hovah, since  I have  dealt  kindly  with 
you,  that  you  will  also  deal  kindly 
with  my  father’s  house,  and  give  me  a 
true  token.  And  the  men  said  to  her, 
14bIt  shall  be,  when  Jehovah  giveth  us 
the  land,  that  we  will  deal  kindly  and 
truly  with  you.  lsBehold,  when  we 
come  into  the  land,  you  shall  bind 
this  cord  of  scarlet  thread  in  the  win- 
dow through  which  you  let  us  down  ; and 
you  shall  gather  to  yourself  into  the 
house,  your  father  and  your  mother 
and  your  brothers,  and  all  your 
father’s  household.  19And  it  shall  be, 
if  any  one  goes  out  of  the  doors  of 
your  house  into  the  street,  his  blood 
shall  be  upon  his  head,  and  we  shall 
be  guiltless;  but  if  any  one  stays  with 
you  in  the  house,  his  blood  shall  be  on 
our  heads,  if  an  injury  befalls  him.* 1 
21  And  she  said,  Let  it  be  as  you  say. 
So  she  sent  them  away,  and  they  de- 
parted and  she  bound  the  scarlet  cord 
in  the  window. 


Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

her,  We  will  be  prepared  to  forfeit  our 
lives  for  you,J  if  you  do  not  disclose 
this  business  of  ours.  20But  if  you  do 
disclose  this  business  of  ours,  then  we 
shall  be  free  from  the  oath  to  which 
you  have  made  us  swear.  15Then  she 
let  them  down  by  a rope  through  the 
window  (for  her  house  was  so  close 
beside  the  city  wall  that  she  dwelt 
upon  the  wall).k  16And  she  said  to 
them.  Go  to  the  mountain,  lest  the 
pursuers  happen  to  find  you;  and 
hide  yourselves  there  three  days  un- 
til the  pursuers  have  returned;  and 
afterward  you  may  go  on  your  way. 
17Then  the  men  said  to  her,  We  will  be  free 
from  this  oath  to  you  which  you  have  made 
us  swear. m 

22So  they  went  and  came  to  the 
mountain,  and  remained  there  three 
days,  until  the  pursuers  had  returned. 
Now  the  pursuers  sought  for  them 
in  every  direction,  but  did  not  find 
them.  23Then  the  two  men  returned, 
descending  from  the  mountain,  and 
passed  over  and  came  to  Joshua  the 
son  of  Nun,  and  told  him  all  that  had 
befallen  them.  24And  they  said  to 
Joshua,  Jehovah  hath  delivered  all 
the  land  into  our  power;  and  more- 
over all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  have 
lost  heart  before  us. 


§ 108.  Passage  over  the  Jordan,  Josh.  S2 * *-^1 


Later  Judean 

Josh.  3 la’cThen  Joshua  rose  up 
early  in  the  morning  and  he  and 
all  the  Israelites  came  to  the  Jor- 


E a r l y Ephraimit  e 
Prophetic 

3 lbThen  they  re- 
moved from  Shittim. 


Late  Priestly 
Narratives 

3 "Then  Jeho- 
vah said  to  Josh- 


i 29b-u  Additions  in  the  spirit  and  peculiar  language  of  the  later  prophetic  editor.  Cf.  also  2jb. 

i 21J“  Heb.  lit.,  Our  life  instead  of  you  to  die. 

k 2’5  I e.,  built  so  close  that  some  of  the  rooms  projected  upon  the  wall  as  is  the  case  in  cer- 
tain oriental  cities  to-day. 

1 21Q  Heb.,  hand  be  upon  him. 

m 217  Apparently  an  editorial  addition,  based  on  20  and  intended  to  connect 16  with  ls,  which 

continues  the  speech  of  the  men. 

§ 108  As  in  the  case  of  the  exodus  and  the  revelation  at  Sinai,  the  present  account  of  the 

crossing  of  the  Jordan  bears  on  its  face  the  evidence  of  successive  combination  and  revision. 

258 


Josh.  31c] 


PASSAGE  OVER  THE  JORDAN 


[Josh.  3* 2-  7 


Later  Judean 

dan  and  spent  the  night  there  be- 
fore they  passed  over.  5 *And  Josh- 
ua said  to  the  people.  Sanctify 
yourselves,  for  to-morrow  Jehovah 
will  do  wonderful  things  among 
you.  9Joshua  also  said  to  the  Is- 
raelites, Come  hither  and  hear  the 
words  of  Jehovah  your  God. 


Ephr  aimit  e Pro- 
phetic 

2Now  after  three  days 
the  officers  went 
through  the  midst  of 
the  camp,  3 4and  com- 
manded the  people 
saying,  When  you  see 
the  ark  of  the  covenant11 


Late  Priestly 
N arratives 
ua,  This  day 
will  I begin  to 
magnify  thee  in 
the  sight  of  all 
Israel  that  they 
may  know  that, 
I will  be  with 


For  example,  the  command  in  312  is  repeated  almost  verbatim  in  42.  3I7b  states  emphatically 
that  all  Israel  passed  over  the  river,  but  410  tells  again  of  their  crossing,  as  for  the  first  time. 
419  contains  still  a third  account.  According  to  43b.  8b  twelve  stones  were  taken  from  the  midst 
of  the  river  and  set  up  at  the  place  where  the  Hebrews  encamped  for  the  night;  in  420,  however, 
they  were  placed  at  Gilgal;  while  in  49  they  wore  deposited  in  the  midst  of  the  river.  The  Gk. 
and  Lat.  texts  contain  many  omissions  and  variations,  some  probably  original,  but  most  of  them 
harmonistic.  There  are  indications  that  each  of  the  four  groups  of  narratives  had  its  version 
of  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan,  and  the  attendant  incidents.  They  have,  however,  been  amal- 
gamated so  closely  and  the  linguistic  and  other  evidence  is  at  certain  points  so  indefinite  or  per- 
plexing that  the  analysis  is  exceedingly  difficult  and  the  results  only  approximately  assured. 

Three  fairly  complete  versions  can  be  distinguished.  The  late  prophetic  probably  never 
existed  independently.  At  present  it  simply  supplements  the  other  three.  In  each  the  ark 
borne  by  the  priests  goes  first  and  the  people  follow.  In  one,  as  predicted  in  313  and  recorded  in 
16b  and  47,  the  waters  of  the  Jordan  were  cut  off  and  rose  in  a heap  (cf.  also  Ps.  337)  at  Adam, 
beside  Zarethan,  a city  located  somewhere  higher  up  the  Jordan  valley.  Cut  off  above,  the 
waters  below  flowed  down  to  the  Salt  Sea,  leaving  the  Jordan  bed  empty.  This  version  strongly 
suggests  a landslide,  which  temporarily  dammed  the  waters  of  the  river  until  they  again  broke 
away  the  barrier  and  came  rushing  down,  overflowing  the  banks  as  before,  418.  The  name  of 
the  city,  Adam  (Red  earth),  supports  the  conclusion  that  this  unusual  phenomenon  took  place 
higher  up  the  Jordan,  where  the  steep  clayey  banks  overhang  the  river  a great  way  above  Jeri- 
chG.  The  mention  of  the  spring  freshets  also  confirms  the  hypothesis  of  a landslide.  As  in 
the  Judean  account  of  the  exodus,  § 73,  Jehovah’s  care  and  love  for  his  people  was  revealed  by 
the  opportune  use  of  natural  forces,  rather  than  by  what  is  usually  called  a miracle. 

Most  interesting  in  this  connection  is  the  incident  recounted  in  the  history  of  Sultan  Bibars, 
which  occurred  in  1257  a.d.  It  was  found  necessary  to  repair  the  foundations  of  the  bridge 
Jisr  Damieh  in  anticipation  of  the  retreat  of  the  Moslem  army.  The  task  seemed  impossible, 
but  on  arriving  at  the  bridge,  the  workmen  found  the  river-bed  empty.  _ Thus  it  remained  for 
a few  hours,  until  the  work  was  nearly  completed.  Then  the  waters  again  came  rushing  down. 
The  cause  was  a landslide  higher  up  the  river.  This  version  of  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan  ig 
strikingly  similar  to  the  Judean  account  of  the  exodus  in  which  a strong  east  wind  drove  back 
the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea,  § 73.  Linguistic  evidence  also  confirms  the  classification,  although 
the  prominence  of  Joshua  seems  to  indicate  that  it  is  a later  stratum  of  these  narratives.  In 
this  version  there  does  not  appear  to  have  been  any  reference  to  the  appointment  of  the  twelve 
men  for  each  of  the  tribes  to  bear  the  memorial  stones  from  the  bed  of  the  Jordan.  Cf.  43.  6,  7. 

Another  version  contains  formal  directions  regarding  the  order  of  march.  The  reference  to 
the  twelve  men  in  44  implies  that  their  appointment  was  a part  of  these  preliminaries.  For  this 
and  other  reasons  it  is  generally  held  that  42  originally  belonged  in  the  earlier  part  of  3.  Its 
duplicate,  312,  also  has  no  connection  with  its  context.  It  is  either  simply  an  insertion  by  a later 
editor,  as  the  fact  that  it  is  not  found  in  the  Gk.  would  strongly  indicate,  or  possibly  it  is  a 
fragment  of  the  late  priestly  narrative,  with  which  it  has  close  linguistic  affinities.  The  second 
account  of  the  crossing  is  unfortunately  fragmentary  at  the  critical  point,  but  later  references, 

423,  51,  seem  to  indicate  that  the  Israelites  were  able  to  pass  over  because  the  waters  were  dried 

up.  Each  year  during  the  dry  rainless  season  the  Jordan  becomes  easily  fordable.  An  extra- 

ordinary drought  may  have  been  the  basis  of  this  tradition.  As  a whole  it  presents  the 

traditional  origin  of  the  long  revered  Northern  Israelitish  sanctuary  at  Gilgal,  420.  It  is  the 

continuation  of  the  Ephraimite  fragment  in  l10.  lu.  Its  language  and  representation  tend  to 

confirm  its  classification  with  the  other  narratives  from  this  source.  The  style  and  hortatory 

tone  of  421^51  indicate  that  this  passage  has  been  recast  by  a late  prophetic  editor. 

The  third  narrative  includes  some  late  prophetic  material,  e.  g.,  37,  410-  14 ; but  the  prominence 

of  the  priests,  many  linguistic  peculiarities,  as  brink  of  Jordan,  38>  16a,  ark  of  the  law,  416,  and  the 

interest  in  detailed  statistics,  413' 19,  point  to  the  late  priestly  source.  The  representation  that  the 

waters  of  the  Jordan  stood  above  as  a solid  wall,  so  that  the  Israelites  passed  over  on  dry  ground, 

is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  same  source  in  the  story  of  the  exodus,  § 73. 

Thus  the  analysis  of  the  narratives  of  the  crossing  of  the  Jordan,  like  that  of  those  which 

record  the  other  epoch-making  experiences  in  Israel’s  history,  illustrates  vividly  the  successive 

stages  in  the  growth  of  tradition.  At  the  same  time  it  confirms  the  fundamental  conviction 

of  Israel’s  teachers  that  Jehovah  through  nature  and  through  every  experience  that  came 

to  them  was  revealing  his  power  and  love  and  leading  them  ever  on  to  the  '.ealization  of  their 
destiny. 

“ 33  As  in  Num.  1033  and  elsewhere  the  designation  ark  of  the  covenant  of  Jehovah  appears  to 

be  from  a late  prophetic  or  Deuteronomic  editor.  It  is  peculiar  to  that  school.  The  ark  or 

ark  of  Jehovah  are  the  designations  regularly  employed  in  the  early  prophetic  narratives. 

259 


The 

crossing 


Josh.  310]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh.  33.  7 


Later  Judean 

10Then  Joshua  said.  By  this  you 
shall  know  that  a living  God  is 
among  you,  and  that  he  will  certainly 
drive  out  from  before  you  the  Canaan- 
ites,  the  Hittites,  the  Hivites,  the  Per- 
izzites,  the  Girgashites,  the  Amorites 
and  the  Jebusites.  11  Behold,  the  ark 
of  the  covenant0  of  the  Lord  of  all  the 
earth  passes  over  before  you  into 
the  Jordan.  13a’cAnd  it  shall  come 
to  pass  when  the  soles  of  the  feet  of 
the  priests  that  bear  the  ark  of 
Jehovah  the  Lord  of  all  the  earth  shall 
rest  in  the  waters  of  Jordan,  that 
the  waters  of  Jordan  shall  be  cut 
off,  and  they  shall  rise  in  a heap. 


15aAnd  so  when  those  who  were 
carrying  the  ark  came  to  the  Jor- 
dan— the  Jordan  overflows  its 
banks  all  the  time  of  harvest — 
16bits  waters  rose  up  in  a heap,  a 
great  way  off  at  Adam,  the  city 
that  is  beside  Zarethan,  and  those 
that  went  down  toward  the  sea  of 
the  Arabah,  the  Salt  Sea,  were 
wholly  cut  off.  And  the  people 
stood11  opposite  Jericho. 


Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic 

of  Jehovah  your  God, 
and  the  priests,  the 
Levites,0  bearing  it, 
then  you  shall  re- 
move from  your 
place  and  go  after  it. 
4 Yet  there  shall  be  a 
space  between  you  and  it 
of  about  two  thousand 
cubits.  Do  not  come 
near  it,  that  you  may 
know  the  way  by  which 
you  must  go ; for  you 
have  never  passed  this 
way  before.P  *"[4"]A1- 
so  take  twelve  men 
from  the  people,  one 
man  from  each  tribe. 
6 And  Joshua  said  to 
the  priests,  Take  up 
the  ark  of  the  cov- 
enant and  pass  over 
before  the  people. 

14And  it  came  to 
pass  when  the  people 
removed  from  their 
tents  to  pass  over  the 
Jordan,  the  priests 
who  were  carrying 
the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant being  before  the 
people,  that  J ehovah 
dried  up  the  waters 
of  the  Jordan,  17bwhile 
all  Israel  passed  over  on 
dry  ground,  until  the 
whole  nation  had  com- 
pleted the  crossing  of 
the  Jordan. r 


4 *And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the 
whole  nation  had  completed  the  crossing 


4 4Then  Joshua 
called  the  twelve  men 


Late  Priestly 
Narratives 

thee  as  I was  with 
Moses,  8And 
thou  shalt  com- 
mand the  priests 
who  bear  the 
ark  of  the  cove- 
nant, saying, 
When  you  come 
to  the  brink  of 
the  waters  of 
Jordan,  you  shall 
stand  still  in  the 
Jordan.  13bAnd 
the  waters  that 
come  down  from 
above  shall 
stand  still. 


15bTheref  ore 
when  the  feet  of 
the  priests  who 
were  carrying 
the  ark  dipped 
in  the  brink  of 
the  water,  16athe 
waters  which 
came  down  from 
above  stood  still. 
17aAnd  the 
priests  who  were 
carrying  the  ark 
of  the  covenant 
of  Jehovah  stood 
firm  on  dry 
ground  in  the 
midst  of  the  Jor- 
dan. 


° 33_u  Also  an  expression  peculiar  to  the  late  prophetic  writers  and  editors. 
p 34  Apparently  a fragment  of  the  late  priestly  narratives. 

<1  3>«b  Heb..  passed  over,  but  Gk.  probably  has  the  original  reading,  stood. 

’ 317b  A late  prophetic  editorial  supplement. 

260 


!om- 
land  to 
et  up 
welve 
iemo- 
ial 

bones 


Josh.  41] 


PASSAGE  OVER  THE  JORDAN 


[Josh.  44-  9 


Later  Judean 

of  the  Jordan,  that  Jehovah  said  to 
Joshua,  3Command  them  saying, 
‘Take  hence  from  the  midst  of  the 
Jordan,  (out  of  the  place  where  the 
priests’  feet  stood)  twelve  stones, 
and  carry  them  over  with  you  and 
lay  them  down  in  the  camping- 
place,  where  you  shall  pass  the 
night,  6that  this  may  be  a sign 
among  you,  that,  when  your  chil- 
dren ask  in  time  to  come,  saying, 
“ What  do  you  mean  by  these 
stones  ?”  7athen  you  shall  say  to 
them,  “Because  the  waters  of  the 
Jordan  were  cut  off  before  the  ark 
of  the  covenant  of  Jehovah;  when  it 
passed  over  the  Jordan,  the  waters 
of  the  Jordan  were  cut  off.”’ 


8bSo  they  took  up 
twelve  stones  out  of  the 
midst  of  the  Jordan, 
as  Jehovah  said  to  Joshua, 
according  to  the  number  of 
the  tribes  of  the  Israelites,8 
and  they  carried  them 
over  with  them  to  the 
place  where  they 
camped,  and  laid  them 
down  there.  10bThen 
the  people  passed  over 
quickly.  11Anditeame 
to  pass  when  all  the 
people  had  finished 
the  passage,  that  the 
ark  of  Jehovah  passed 
over  and  the  priests, 
in  the  presence  of  the 
people.  18And  when  the 
priests  who  were  carry- 
ing the  ark  of  the  covenant 
of  Jehovah  came  up 
from  the  midst  of  the 
Jordan,  and  the  soles 


E phr  aim  it  e Pro- 
phetic 

whom  he  had  ap- 
pointed of  the  Israel- 
ites, a man  from 
each  tribe,  5and 
Joshua  said  to  them, 

Pass  over  before  the 
ark  of  Jehovah  your 
God  into  the  midst 
of  the  Jordan,  and 
let  every  man  of  you 
lift  a stone  upon  his 
shoulder,  according 
to  the  number  of  the 
tribes  of  the  Israel- 
ites; 7band  these 
stones  shall  be  for  a 
memorial  to  the  Is- 
raelites forever. 

4 9Then  Joshua  set  up 
twelve  stones  in  the  midst  of 
the  Jordan  in  the  place 
where  the  feet  of  the  priests 
who  carried  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  stood;  and  they 
are  there  to  this  day.  10aThe 
priests  who  carried  the  ark 
stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
Jordan,  until  every  thing 
was  finished  that  Jehovah 
commanded  Joshua  to  speak 
to  the  people  according  to 
all  that  Moses  commanded 
Joshua.  12And  the  Reuben- 
ites,  and  the  Gadites,  and 
the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh, 
passed  over  armed  before 
the  Israelites,  as  Moses  com- 
manded them ; 13about  forty 
thousand  ready  armed  for 
war  passed  over  before  Je- 
hovah to  battle,  to  the  plains 
of  Jericho.  14On  that  day 


8aAnd  the  Israel- 
ites did  as  Joshua 
commanded.  20  And 
those  twelve  stones 
which  they  took  out 
of  the  Jordan,  Josh- 
ua set  up  in  Gilgal. 
21And  he  said  to  the  Is- 
raelites, When  your  chil- 
dren shall  ask  their  fa- 
thers in  time  to  come, 
saying,  4 What  do  these 
stones  mean?’  22then  you 
shall  instruct  your  chil- 
dren. saying,  ‘ On  dry 
ground  Israel  came  over 
this  Jordan.  2:lFor  Je- 
hovah your  God  dried  up 
the  waters  of  the  Jordan 
from  before  you,  until 
you  had  passed  over,  as 
Jehovah  your  God  did  to 
the  Red  Sea  which  he 
dried  up  from  before  us, 
until  we  had  passed  over, 
21that  all  the  peoples  of 
the  earth  may  know  that 
the  hand  of  Jehovah  is 
mighty  and  that  you  may 
fear  Jehovah  your  God 
forever.’ 


Late  Priestly 
Narratives 


a 48b  Apparently  an  editorial  harmonistic  note. 
when  the  Israelites  had  passed  completely  over. 

261 


Gk.  reads,  as  Jehovah  commanded  Joshua , 


Setting 
up  the 
memori- 
al stones 
and 

comple- 
tion of 
the  pas- 
sage of 
the  Jor- 
dan 


Circum- 
cision of 
the  Isra- 
elites 


Josh.  418,  51]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh.  414 


Later  Judean 

of  the  priests’  feet  were 
lifted  up  on  the  dry 
ground,  the  waters  of 
the  Jordan  returned  to 
their  place  and  went 
over  all  its  banks  as 
before. 


Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic 

5 !Now  when  all  the 
kings  of  the  Amorites, 
who  were  to  the  west  of 
the  Jordan  and  all  the 
kings  of  the  Canaanites 
who  were  by  the  sea, 
heard  how  that  Jehovah 
had  dried  up  the  waters 
of  the  Jordan  from  be- 
fore the  Israelites,  until 
they1  were  passed  over, 
they  lost  heart,  neither 
was  there  spirit  in  them 
any  more,  because  of  the 
Israelites. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 
Jehovah  magnified  Joshua 
in  the  sight  of  all  Israel ; and 
they  feared  him  as  they 
feared  Moses,  all  the  days  of 
his  life.  15And  Jehovah  said 
to  Joshua,  16Command  the 
priests  who  carry  the  ark  of 
the  law,  that  they  come  up 
out  of  the  Jordan.  17Joshua 
therefore  commanded  the 
priests,  saying,  Come  up  out 
of  the  Jordan.  19So  the  peo- 
ple came  up  out  of  the 
Jordan  on  the  tenth  day  of 
the  first  month,  and  en- 
camped in  Gilgal,  on  the 
east  side  of  Jericho. 


§ 109.  Religious  Ceremonies  at  Gilgal,  Josh.  5*~12 


Early  Ephraimite 
Josh.  5 2At  that 
time  Jehovah  said  to 
Joshua,  Make  knives 
of  flint,  and  circum- 
cise again  the  Israel- 
ites the  second  time. 
3Then  Joshua  made 
him  knives  of  flint 
and  circumcised  the 
Israelites  at  Gibeah 
Araloth  [The  hill  of 
the  foreskins].  9And 
Jehovah  said  to 
Joshua,  To-day 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

5 4Now  this  is  the  reason  why  Joshua  circumcised 
the  Israelites  :u  all  the  people  that  came  out  of  Egypt 
who  were  males,  even  all  the  men  capable  of  fighting, 
died  in  the  wilderness  in  the  way,  on  the  journey 
from  Egypt.  6For  all  the  people  who  came  out  were  circum- 
cised ; but  all  the  people  who  were  bom  in  the  wilderness  in 
the  way  on  the  journey  from  Egypt,  had  not  been  circumcised. 
6For  the  Israelites  wandered  forty  years  in  the  wilder- 
ness, until  all  the  nation,  even  the  men  capable  of 
fighting,  who  came  out  of  Egypt,  were  destroyed,  be- 
cause they  did  not  heed  the  voice  of  Jehovah;  to  whom 
Jehovah  swore  that  he  would  not  let  them  see  the  land 
concerning  which  Jehovah  gave  oath  to  their  fathers 
that  he  would  give  us  a land  flowing  with  milk  and 
honey.  7But  their  children,  whom  he  raised  up  in  their 


* 5*  Heb.,  we,  but  Gk.,  Lat.,  Syr.  have  they,  as  is  required  by  the  context. 

§ 109  The  account  of  the  circumcision  of  the  Israelites  at  Gilgal  is  associated,  in  the  older 
and  briefer  form  of  the  narrative,  2-  3'  9,  with  the  traditional  meaning  of  the  name  Gilgal.  Cf. 
Josh.  420,  which  suggests  a different  origin.  The  primitive  character  of  the  story  is  manifest. 
Cf.  use  of  flint  knives.  Ex.  425,  which  is  from  the  Judean  group  of  narratives,  seems  to  connect 
the  introduction  of  the  rite  of  circumcision  among  the  Israelites  with  Moses,  and  to  imply  (as  is 
historically  probable)  that  it  was  a common  institution  before  this  time,  and  was  practised  by 
the  Hebrews  in  the  wilderness.  Dt.  1016  also  apparently  assumes  the  latter.  Cf.  Gen.  17, 
where  the  priestly  narrative  associates  it  with  Abraham.  Evidently  in  2 a later  editor  has 
sought  to  harmonize  the  present  story  with  those  which  precede.  In  its  original  form  it 
seems  to  represent  the  tradition  early  current  in  Northern  Israel  regarding  the  origin  of  the 
rite.  Vss.  4-8  are  easily  recognized  as  later  additions  by  a prophetic  writer,  who  wished  to 
make  the  harmonization  complete.  The  Gk.  text,  which  here  probably  follows  an  older  read- 
ing, differs  widely  from  the  Heb.  Vs.  5,  which  interrupts  the  connection  between  4 and  6,  is  not 
found  in  the  Gk.  A priestly  editor,  interested  in  ceremonial  institutions,  has  also  inserted  t0*12. 

“ 54  Following  certain  Gk.  texts  which  supply  the  object  demanded  by  the  verb. 

262 


CEREMONIES  AT  GILGAL 


[Josh.  57 


Josh.  59] 


Late  Prophetic 

stead,  Joshua  circumcised;  for  they  were  uncircum- 
cised, because  they  had  not  circumcised  them  on  the 
journey.  8Then  when  they  had  finished  circumcising 
all  the  nation,  they  remained  in  their  places  in  the 
camp  until  they  were  well  again. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

10When  now  the  Israelites  encamped  in  Gilgal,  they  kept  the  passover  on  °bserv* 
the  fourteenth  day  of  the  month  in  the  evening  in  the  plains  of  Jericho.  11  And  the  pas* 
they  ate  of  the  produce  of  the  land  on  the  day  after  the  passover,  unleavened 
cakes  and  parched  grain,  on  the  very  same  day.  12And  the  manna  ceased  on 
the  dav  after  they  had  eaten  of  the  produce  of  the  land;  neither  had  the 
Israelites  manna  any  more;  but  they  ate  of  the  fruit  of  the  land  of  Canaan 
that  year. 

§ 110.  Capture  of  Jericho,  Josh.  51S~15,  6 


Early  Ephraimite 
have  I rolled  away 
the  reproach  of  Egypt 
from  off  you.  So  the 
name  of  that  place 
has  been  called  Gil- 
gal [Rolling],  to  this 
day. 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 

Josh.  5 13Nowwhen  Joshua  was  near  Jericho, 
he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and,  behold, 
there  stood  a man  over  against  him  with  his 
sword  drawn  in  his  hand.  And  Joshua  went  to 
him,  and  said  to  him,  Art  thou  for  us  or  for  our 
adversaries?  14And  he  said,  Nay,  but  as  Prince 
of  the  host  of  Jehovah  have  I now  come.  Then 
Joshua  fell  on  his  face  to  the  earth,  and  worship- 
ped, and  said  to  him,  What  has  my  lord  to  say 
to  his  servant?  15And  the  Prince  of  Jehovah’s 
host  said  to  Joshua,  Take  off  thy  sandals  from 


Early  Ephraimite  Nar- 
ratives 

6 xNow  Jericho  had  Divine 
closed  its  gates  and  was  tions’re- 
closed  on  account  of  the  garding 
Israelites;  no  one  went  Sattac* 
out  or  in.  And  Jehovah 
said  to  Joshua,  4Seven 
priests  shall  carry  seven 
trumpets  of  rams’  horns 
before  the  ark;  and  ye 
shall  march  around  the 


§ 110  Certain  variations  irreconcilable  with  each  other,  as  the  narrative  reads  in  the 
original,  have  long  been  recognized.  The  Gk.  translators  endeavored  to  eliminate  these  by 
frequent  omissions.  For  example  in  610' 16b-  2>s  the  signal  for  the  capture  of  Jericho  is  the  com- 
mand of  Joshua,  but  in  5'  2011  it  is  the  blast  of  the  ram’s  horn.  Similarly  there  are  two  distinct 
accounts  of  the  deliverance  of  Rahab.  One,  17 ■ 27 , states  that  she  with  her  father’s  household 
were  saved,  because  she  delivered  the  messengers,  as  was  promised  in  the  Judean  version  of  the 
story  of  the  spies  (§  107) ; the  other.  22  ■ 22 , that  she  with  all  her  relatives,  because  she  had  hidden 
the  two  spies  who  identify  her  (the  token  being  peculiar  to  the  Judean  story),  precisely  as 
anticipated  by  the  Ephraimite  version.  Also  the  account  of  the  processions  is  confused. 

The  recognition  of  two  distinct  narratives  affords  a most  satisfactory  solution  of  these  diffi- 
culties; for  the  seeming  inconsistencies  are  simply  details  peculiar  to  each.  In  one  the  Hebrews 
march  about  Jericho  once  each  day  for  seven  days,  and  then  at  the  command  of  Joshua  rush  to 
the  capture  of  the  city,  which  they  devote  with  all  its  inhabitants,  except  Rahab  and  her  father’s 
household.  The  points  of  contact  are  all  with  the  Judean  prophetic  narrative  of  Joshua  2. 
Linguistic  peculiarities  also  confirm  this  classification.  The  passage  513-15  recalls  the  Judean 
prophetic  account  of  Moses’s  divine  commission.  With  15  cf.  Ex.  35.  It  is  not  very  closely 
connected  with  its  context  and  may  originally  have  represented  the  Judean  version  of  Joshua’s 
call  to  the  leadership  of  the  Israelites.  Its  present  position,  however,  indicates  that  it  was  in- 
tended to  introduce  the  account  of  the  capture  of  Jericho. 

In  the  other  narrative  the  people  march  about  the  city  seven  times  the  same  day,  the  ark 
and  priests  figuring  prominently.  The  seventh  time  when  the  priests  blow  the  trumpets,  the 
walls  fall  down  themselves  at  the  shout  of  the  people.  Then,  when  Rahab  and  all  her  kinsmen 
are  brought  out  of  the  city,  it  is  burnt,  together  with  all  its  inhabitants.  Again  linguistic 
evidence  (e.  g. , Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  in  6)  confirms  the  testimony  of  the  contents  that  this  is  the 
Ephraimite  version  of  the  story. 


263 


Josh.  513]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN 


[Josh.  64 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 

thy  feet ; for  the  place  on  which  thou  art  standing 
is  holy.  6 2 And  Joshua  did  so.  Then  Jehovah 
said  to  Joshua,  See,  I have  given  into  thy  power 
Jericho,  and  its  king,  with  the  men  capable  of 
fighting.  3 And  ye  shall  march  around  the  city, 
all  the  warriors  going  about  the  city  once. 
Thus  shall  ye  do  six  days.  5bAnd  the  seventh 
day  the  people  shall  go  up  every  man  straight 
before  him. 


Joshua’s  7Therefore  [Joshua]*  said 
mands  to  the  people,  March  around 

to  the  ^ f 

people  the  city,  and  let  the  armed 
men  pass  on  before  the  ark 
of  Jehovah.  10Joshua  also 
commanded  the  people  say- 
ing, You  shall  not  shout  the 
battle-cry,  nor  let  your  voice 
be  heard,  neither  shall  a 
word  go  out  of  your  mouth, 
until  the  day  I say  to  you, 
‘Shout  the  battle-cry;’  then 
you  shall  shout. 


Early  Ephraimite  Nar- 
ratives 


city  seven  times,  while  the 
priests  blow  the  trumpets. 
5aAnd  it  shall  be,  that, 
when  they  make  a long 
blast  with  the  ram’s  horn, 
when  ye  hear  the  sound  of 
the  trumpet,  all  the  peo- 
ple shall  shout  with  a 
great  shout,  and  the  wall 
of  the  city  will  fall  down 
of  itself. v 

6Then  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  called  the 
priests  and  said  to  them,  Take  up  the  ark  of  the 
covenant,  and  let  seven  priests  bear  seven  trum- 
pets of  rams’  horns  before  Jehovah, w 8anda 
the  seven  priests  bearing  the  seven  trumpets 
of  rams’  horns  before  Jehovah  shall  pass  on, 
while  they  blow  the  trumpets,  with  the  ark 
of  the  covenant  of  Jehovah  following  them,  9and 
the  armed  men  going  before  the  priests  who 
blow  the  trumpets,  and  the  great  multitude 
following  the  ark,  while  they  continually  blow 
the  trumpets. 


March 
around 
the  city 


Capture 
of  the 
city 


11  So  he  caused  the  ark  of  Jehovah  to  march 
around  the  city,  going  about  it  once.  Then 
they  came  into  the  camp,  and  lodged  in  the  camp. 
12aAnd  Joshua  rose  early  in  the  morning,  14and 
the  second  day  they  marched  around  the  city 
once,  and  returned  to  the  camp.  Thus  they 
did  six  days.  15aAnd  it  came  to  pass  on  the 
seventh  day  that  they  rose  early  at  the  dawning  of 
the  day,  and  when  they  had  made  the  circuit  of  the 
city  after  the  same  manner,  16bJoshua  said  to  the 
people,  Shout  the  battle-cry;  for  Jehovah  hath 
given  you  the  city.  17And  the  city  shall  be  com- 
pletely devotedb  to  Jehovah,  together  with  all 


12bSo  the  priests  took 
up  the  ark  of  Jehovah. 
13 And  the  seven  priests 
bearing  the  seven  trum- 
pets of  rams’  horns  be- 
fore the  ark  of  Jehovah 
kept  going  while  they 
blew  the  trumpets,  the 
armed  men  going  before 
them  and  the  rearguard 
following  the  ark  of  Je- 
hovah, blowing  trumpets 
15b seven  times;  only  on  that 


v 65a,  20b  The  current  translation  flat,  is  a very  doubtful  equivalent  for  the  Heb.  Of  itself  is 
supported  by  the  Gk.  and  Lat.,  and  is  in  harmony  with  the  representation  of  the  Ephraimite 
narratives. 

w 66  So  Gk.  Heb.,  before  the  ark  of  Jehovah;  but  tf.  8. 

* 67  Heb.  has  they,  but  marginal  reading  of  Heb.  and  the  other  versions  have  he,  referring 
to  Joshua,  which  the  editor  left  out  after  6. 

a 68  It  was  so  that,  when  Joshua  had  spoken  to  the  people  is  added  in  the  Heb.  after  and.  The 
Gk.,  however,  omits  it  and  renders  the  rest  of  the  verse  9 by  imperatives,  thus  continuing  the 
instructions  of  Joshua.  The  record  of  their  being  carried  out  is  found  in  uh-  13,  so  that  the  cur- 
rent translations  of  the  Heb.  present  a meaningless  repetition. 

b 617  The  Heb.  word  here  and  elsewhere  translated  completely  devoted,  or  utterly  destroyed, 
or  placed  under  the  ban,  is  from  the  same  root  as  the  Arabic  word  harem,  which  has  been  adopted 

264 


Josh.  617]  CAPTURE  OF  JERICHO 

Later  Judean  Prophetic 

that  is  in  it;  only  Rahab  the  harlot  shall  live,  both 
she  and  those  who  are  with  her  in  the  house,  be- 
cause she  hid  the  messengers  whom  we  sent. 

18Only  keep  yourselves  from  that  which  has  been  placed 
under  the  ban,  lest  when  you  have  placed  it  under  the  ban 
you  take  of  it,  and  so  bring  the  camp  of  Israel  under  the 
ban,  and  trouble  it.  19But  an  the  silver  and  gold,  and 
vessels  of  brass  and  iron  are  holy  to  Jehovah  ; they  Bhall 
come  into  the  treasury  of  Jehovah. 

20a,  cg0  iiie  people  shouted  the  battle-cry,  and 
went  up  into  the  city,  every  man  straight  before 
him,  and  they  took  the  city. 


21Then  they  completely  destroyed  by 
the  swordc  all  that  was  in  the  city,  both 
man  and  woman,  both  young  and  old, 
and  ox,  and  sheep,  and  ass.  25But  Ra- 
hab the  harlot  and  her  father’s  house- 
hold and  all  that  she  had,  Joshua  saved; 
and  they  have  dwelt  in  the  midst  of  Is- 
rael even  until  this  day,  because  she 
hid  the  messengers  whom  Joshua  sent 
to  spy  out  Jericho.  26 At  that  time  Josh- 
ua made  them  subscribe  to  this  oath: 

Cursed  be  that  man  before  Jehovah 
Who  undertakes  to  rebuild  this  city  ; 
With  the  loss  of  his  first-born  shall  he  lay 
its  foundation. 

And  with  the  loss  of  his  youngest  son 
shall  he  set  up  its  gates. 

27So  Jehovah  was  with  Joshua,  and 
his  fame  was  in  all  the  land. 


[Josh.  615b 

Ephraimite  Narratives 

day  they  marched  around  the 
city  seven  times.  1GaAnd 
it  came  to  pass  at  the 
seventh  time,  that  the 
priests  blew  the  trumpets; 

20band  when  they  blew 
the  trumpets,  it  came  to 
pass,  as  the  people  heard 
the  sound  of  the  trumpet, 
that  the  people  shouted 
with  a great  shout,  and 
the  wall  fell  down  of 
itself.* * * v 

22Then  Joshua  said  to  the  two  Destruo- 
men  who  had  spied  out  the  land,  the  city 
Go  into  the  harlot’s  house,  and  itsin- 
bring  out  from  there  the  woman  tants  ex- 
and  all  that  she  has,  as  you  took  Sfarid 
oath  to  her.  23So  the  young  men,  £am' 
the  spies,  went  in  and  brought 
Rahab  with  her  father  and  mother 
and  kinsmen  and  all  that  she  had. 

Even  all  the  members  of  her  family  they 
brought  out ; and  they  put  them  in  a place 
of  security  outside  of  the  camp  of  Israel. 

24But  they  burnt  the  city  with  fire, 
and  all  that  was  in  it.  Only  the  sil- 
ver and  the  gold,  and  the  vessels  of  brass 
and  of  iron,  they  put  into  the  treasury  of 
the  house  of  Jehovah. 


§ 111.  Defeat  at  Ai  and  Sin  of  Achan,  Josh.  7 

Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Josh.  7 'But  the  Israelites  broke  faith  in  that  which  had  been  placed  under  the  ban  ; Intro- 
for  Achan,  the  son  of  Carmi,  the  son  of  Zabdi,  the  son  of  Zerah,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  took  <iuction 
of  that  which  had  been  placed  under  the  ban  ; therefore  the  anger  of  Jehovah  was  aroused 
against  the  Israehtes. 


in  the  English.  It  has  unfortunately  no  exact  English  equivalent.  It  means  to  set  apart  or 

devote  to  a special  end.  In  Joshua,  as  in  the  Moabite  stone  (1.16),  it  means  set  apart  to 

destruction  as  an  offering  or  the  especial  possession  of  the  Deity. 

v 6*  See  note  v on  page  264. 
c 621  Heb.,  devoted  to  the  edge  of  the  sword. 

§ 111  There  are  suggestions  that  two  distinct  narratives  are  incorporated  in  this  story: 
in  0 Israel’s  enemies  are  called  Canaanites  and  in7Amorites;  Vs.  3 contains  an  apparent  repe- 
tition. These,  however,  may  be  simply  amplifications  of  a later  editor,  and  there  are  not  suf- 
ficient reasons  nor  data  for  analyzing  the  story.  The  pleading  with  Jehovah,  6_9,  and  the  trial 
by  lot,  16-20,  and  the  linguistic  evidence  favor  the  conclusion  that  it  was  taken  from  the  later 
Judean  prophetic  narratives.  7l-  18b'  19a'  26b  contain  details  and  awkward  repetitions  which 

265 


Defeat 
of  the 
three 
hundred 


Joshua’s 

com- 

Slaint  to 
ehovah 


Jeho- 
vah’s 
declara- 
tion that 
the  de- 
feat is 
due  to 
guilt 
within 
Israel’s 
ranks 


Discov- 
ery of 
the  cul- 
prit 


Josh.  72]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN 

Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

2And  Joshua  sent  men  from  Jericho  to  Ai,  which  isd  on  the  east  side  of 
Bethel,  and  commanded  them  saying.  Go  up  and  spy  out  the  land.  So  the 
men  went  and  spied  out  Ai.  3And  when  they  returned  to  Joshua,  they  said 
to  him,  Do  not  let  all  the  people  go  up,  but  let  two  or  three  thousand  men  go 
up  and  smite  Ai;  do  not  make  all  the  people  toil  up  there;  for  they  are  few. 
4So  there  went  up  thither  of  the  people  about  three  thousand  men;  but  they 
fled  before  the  men  of  Ai.  5And  the  men  of  Ai  smote  of  them,  about  thirty-six 
men,  and  pursued  them  from  before  the  gate  even  to  Shebarim,  and  smote  them 
at  the  descent  ;e  and  the  people  lost  heart  to  resist  and  became  as  weak  as  water. f 

6Then  Joshua  rent  his  clothes,  and  fell  to  the  earth  upon  his  face  before 
Jehovah®  until  the  evening,  together  with  the  elders  of  Israel;  and  they  put 
dust  upon  their  heads.  7 And  Joshua  said,  Alas,  O Lord  Jehovah,  why  hast 
thou  at  all  brought  this  people  over  the  Jordan,  to  deliver  us  into  the  hands  of  the 
Amorites,  to  bring  us  to  ruin ! would  that  we  had  been  contented  and  stayed 
beyond  the  Jordan!  sO  Lord,  what  shall  I say,  after  that  Israel  has  turned 
his  back  before  his  enemies!  9For  the  Canaanites  and  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  land  will  hear  of  it,  and  will  surround  us,  and  cut  off  our  name  from  the 
earth ; and  what  wilt  thou  do  for  thy  great  name  ? 

10Then  Jehovah  said  to  Joshua,  Arise!  why  art  thou  lying  prostrate  thus? 
11Israel  hath  sinned;  yea,  they  have  even  transgressed  my  covenant  which  I com- 
manded them,  indeed  they  have  actually  taken  that  which  was  placed  under  the 
ban,  and  have  also  been  guilty  of  theft  and  deception ; and  they  have  even  put  it 
among  their  own  things.  12That  is  why  the  Israelites  cannot  stand  before 
their  enemies,  because  they  have  fallen  under  the  ban.  I will  not  be  with  you 
any  more,  unless  ye  destroy  from  among  you  that  which  was  placed  under 
the  ban.  13Arise,  sanctify  the  people,  and  say,  ‘Sanctify  yourselves  for 
to-morrow;  for  thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  “There  is  in  the 
midst  of  thee,  O Israel,  that  which  was  placed  under  the  ban ; thou  canst  not 
stand  before  thine  enemies  until  ye  take  away  from  among  you  that  which 
was  placed  under  the  ban.”  14In  the  morning  therefore  ye  shall  be  brought 
near  by  your  tribes;  and  it  shall  be  that  the  tribe  which  Jehovah  shall  take, 
shall  come  near  by  families;  and  the  family  which  Jehovah  shall  fake,  shall 
come  near  by  households;  and  the  household  which  Jehovah  shall  take,  shall 
come  near  man  by  man.  15And  it  shall  be  that  he  who  is  taken  with  that 
which  was  placed  under  the  ban  shall  be  burnt  with  fire,  together  with  all 
that  he  has;  because  he  has  transgressed  the  covenant  of  Jehovah,  and  because  he  has 
committed  a shameful  crime  in  Israel.’ 

16So  Joshua  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  brought  Israel  near  by  their 
tribes,  and  the  tribe  of  Judah  was  taken.  17Then  he  brought  near  the  family 
of  Judah;  and  he  took  the  family  of  the  Zerahites,  and  he  brought  near  the 

seem  to  be  from  a later  priestly  editor.  There  are  also  many  additions  in  the  language  of  the 
late  prophetic  editor.  Otherwise  a distinctively  prophetic  spirit  and  purpose  are  manifest 
throughout  the  story. 

d 72  So  Gk.  Heb.  adds,  with  Bethaven.  This  was  evidently  a marginal  note,  in  the  spirit  of 
Am.  55  and  Hos.  416,  intended  to  condemn  the  idolatry  of  this  ancient  sanctuary. 

0 75  Syr.  and  one  Gk.  text  have,  until  they  crushed  them. 

1 7s  Heb.,  the  hearts  of  the  people  melted  and  became  as  water.  Probably  a later  addition. 

Of.  23’  24. 

* 76  So  Gk.  Heb.,  as  in  67,  adds,  ark  of  Jehovah. 

2 66 


SIN  OF  ACHAN 


[Josh.  717 


Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

family  of  the  Zerahites,  man  by  man;  and  Zabdi  was  taken.  18Then  he 
brought  near  his  household,  man  by  man;  and  Achan,  the  son  of  Carmi,  the  son 
of  Zabdi,  the  son  of  Zerah,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  was  taken.  1®Then  Joshua  said 
to  Achan,  My  son,  give,  now,  glory  to  Jehovah  the  God  of  Israel  and  render  praise  to 
him;  and  tell  now  what  you  have  done:  do  not  conceal  it  from  me.  20And 
Achan  answered  Joshua  and  said,  Truly,  I have  sinned  against  Jehovah  the 
God  of  Israel,  and  thus  and  thus  have  I done:  21  when  I saw  among  the  spoil 
a beautiful  Babylonian  mantle,  and  two  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  and  a bar** 1 
of  gold  of  fifty  shekels  weight,  I coveted  them  and  took  them,  and  now  they 
are  hidden  in  the  earth  in  the  middle  of  my  tent  with  the  money  underneath. 

22So  Joshua  sent  messengers  and  they  ran  to  the  tent,  and  there  it  was  hid- 
den in  his  tent  with  the  money  underneath.  23And  they  took  them  from  the 
midst  of  the  tent,  and  brought  them  to  Joshua,  and  all  the  Israelites  and  laid 
them  down  before  Jehovah.  24Then  Joshua,  together  with  all  Israel,  took  Achan 
the  son  of  Zerah,  and  the  silver,  and  the  mantle,  and  the  wedge  of  gold,  and  his  sons 
and  his  daughters,  and  his  oxen  and  his  asses  and  his  sheep,  and  his  tent  and  all  that  he 
had  and  brought  them  to  the  valley  of  Achor.  25And  Joshua  said,  Why  have 
you  brought  trouble  upon  us?  Jehovah  shall  bring  trouble  upon  you  to- 
day. So  all  Israel  stoned  him  with  stones ; and  they  burned  them  with  fire,  and 
stoned  them  with  stones,*  26and  they  raised  over  him  a great  heap  of  stones, 
which  remains  to  this  day.*  Then  Jehovah  turned  from  the  fierceness  of  his 
anger.  Hence  the  name  of  the  place  has  been  called  the  valley  of  Achor 
[Trouble]  to  this  day. 


§ 112.  Capture  of  Ai,  Josh.  8 

Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Josh.  8 xThen  Jehovah  said  to  Joshua,  Do  not  fear,  neither  be  dismayed; 
take  all  the  warriors  with  thee,  and  arise,  go  up  to  Ai.  See,  I give  into  thy 
power  the  king  of  Ai  with  his  people,  and  his  city,  and  his  land.  2And  thou  shalt  do  to 
Ai  and  its  king  as  thou  didst  to  Jericho  and  its  king;  only  its  spoil  and  its  cattle  shall  you 
take  as  spoil  for  yourselves  ;k  set  an  ambush  for  the  city  behind  it. 

3So  Joshua  arose  with  all  the  warriors  to  go  up  to  Ai,  and  Joshua  selected 
thirty  thousand  mighty  men  of  valor,  and  sent  them  forth  by  night.  4And  he 
commanded  them  saying,  Behold,  you  are  to  lie  in  ambush  against  the  city, 


h 721  Heb.,  tongue. 

■ 725  This  vs.  has_  evidently  been  much  revised,  as  is  shown  by  the  presence  of  late  prophetic 
and  priestly  expressions  and  the  many  repetitions.  Vs.  25  points  to  death  by  burning, 

i 726  Evidently  a late  note.  It  is  not  found  in  the  Gk, 

§ 112  The  story  of  the  capture  of  Ai,  like  that  of  Jericho;  seems  to  be  composite,  although 

it  is  more  difficult  to  determine  the  originals.  The  important  indications  are:  two  accounts 

of  the  ambush.  In  3'9 * *  Joshua  stations  thirty  thousand  men  between  Bethel  and  Ai,  west  of  the 

city;  but  12  states  that  he  placed  five  thousand  at  exactly  the  same  spot,  with  no  suggestion 

that  an  overwhelmingly  large  force  was  already  there.  I:  is  also  difficult  to  see  why  a day  was 

wasted  between  the  events  recorded  in  9 and  13 * *.  According  to  19  the  men  in  ambush  set  the  city 

on  fire;  but  in  28  Joshua  burns  it  after  its  capture.  The  analysis  reveals  two  consistent  narra- 

tives: the  one  follows  the  programme  presented  in  3'9.  Its  affinities  are  all  with  the  Judean 

prophetic  narratives.  The  prominence  of  Joshua  would  point  to  a later  strand. 

The  other  version  is  also  complete  but  differs  in  details.  As  frequently  in  the  Ephraimite 

prophetic  stories,  the  miraculous  element  is  more  prominent.  According  to  *5 * * *  the  Israelites 

are  routed,  then  Joshua,  like  Moses  before  him  (cf.  § 89),  stretches  out  his  javelin  at  the  divine 

command  toward  the  city,  and  kept  it  stretched  out  until  all  the  inhabitants  of  Ai  were  slain, 28. 

k 8lb'  2*  Later  prophetic  expansions  of  the  original  command,  which  was  completed  in  2b. 

267 


Destruc- 
tion of 
Achan 
and  the 
stolen 
spoil 


Jeho- 

vah’s 

direc- 

tions 


Arrange^* 
ments 
for  the 
ambush 


Setting 
the  am- 
bush 


Capture 
ancl  de- 
struction 
of  Ai  and 
its  in- 
habi- 
tants 


Josh.  84]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN 


Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

behind  the  city;  do  not  go  very  far  from  the  city,  but  be  ready  all  of  you; 
5and  I and  all  the  people  who  are  with  me  will  approach  the  city,  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  when  they  come  out  against  us  as  at  the  first,  that  we  will  flee 
before  them;  6and  they  will  come  out  after  us,  until  we  have  drawn  them 
away  from  the  city;  for  they  will  say,  ‘They  flee  before  us  as  at  the  first;’1 
7and  then  you  shall  rise  up  from  the  ambush,  and  take  possession  of  the  city; 
for  Jehovah  your  God  will  give  it  into  your  power.  8 And  when  you  have  seized  the 
city,  set  it  on  fire;  according  to  the  word  of  Jehovah  shall  you  do;  see,  I have  com- 
manded you.  | 

Early  Ephraimite 

11Then  all  the  people  drew  near  and  encamped 
on  the  north  side  of  Ai;  and  there  was  a valley 
between  him  and  Ai.  12And  [Joshua]  took  about 
five  thousand  men  and  set  them  in  ambush 
between  Bethel  and  Ai,  on  the  west  side  of  the  city. 
13Thus  they  stationed  the  people,  even  all  the  host 
that  was  on  the  north  of  the  city,  and  their  liers-in- 
wait,  who  were  on  the  west  of  the  city;  but  Joshua 
remained  that  night  in  the  midst  of  the  valley .m 


9So  Joshua  sent  them 
forth,  and  they  went  to 
the  place  of  the  am- 
bush and  stationed 
themselves  between 
Bethel  and  Ai,  on  the 
west  side  of  Ai;  but 
Joshua  spent  that  night 
among  the  people. 


10Then  Joshua  rose  early  in  the  morn- 
ing and  mustered  the  people,  and  went 
up  together  with  the  elders  of  Israel,  be- 
fore the  people  to  Ai.  llaAnd  the  war- 
riors who  were  with  him  went  up,  and 
came  before  the  city,  14a>cand  it  came  to 
pass  when  the  king  of  Ai  saw  it,  both  he 
and  all  his  people  hastened  to  a certain 
place  in  the  direction  of  the  Arabah,  but 
he  did  not  know  that  there  was  an  am- 
bush against  him  behind  the  city. 
15bThen  Israel  fled  by  way  of  the  wilder- 
ness, 16aand  all  the  people  that  were  in 
the  city  were  called  together  to  pursue 
them.  17bAnd  they  left  the  city  un- 
guarded and  pursued  Israel.  ^There- 
upon the  men  in  ambush  arose  quickly 
out  of  their  place,  and  hastened  to  set 
the  city  on  fire.  20 And  when  the  men 
of  Ai  looked  behind  them,n  they  saw 
the  smoke  of  the  city  ascending  to 
heaven,  and  they  had  no  chance  to  flee 
this  way  or  that,  for  the  people  who  had 


14bThen  the  men  of  the  city 
rose  up  early  and  went  out  against 
Israel  to  battle.  15aAnd  Joshua 
and  all  Israel  pretended  to  be 
beaten  by  them,  16band  they  pur- 
sued after  Joshua,  and  were 
drawn  away  from  the  city.  17aAnd 
there  was  not  a man  left  in  Ai  or 
Bethel,  who  had  not  gone  out  after 
Israel.  18Then  Jehovah  said  to 
Joshua,  Hold  out  the  javelin  in 
thy  hand  toward  Ai ; f or  I will  give 
it  into  thy  power.  And  Joshua 
held  the  javelin  in  his  hand  to- 
ward the  city.  19bAnd  [the  men  in 
ambush]  ran  as  soon  as  he  had 
stretched  out  his  hand,  and  en- 
tered the  city  and  took  it.  21a>cAnd 
when  Joshua  and  all  Israel  saw 
that  the  ambush  had  taken  the 
city,  they  turned  back  and  slew 
the  men  of  Ai.  24And  when  Israel 
had  made  an  end  of  slaying  all 


1 86  So  Gk.  Heb.  adds  from  5b  and  we  will  flee  before  them. 
m 813  This  verse  is  omitted  in  the  Gk. 

“ 820  Heb.,  and  behold.  By  the  use  of  this  expression  the  prophetic  writers  constantly  add 
to  the  vividness  of  the  narrative. 

268 


Josh.  820]  CAPTURE  OF  AI  [Josh.  824 


Later  Judean 

been  fleeing  to  the  wilderness  turned 
back  upon  the  pursuers.  21bWhen  the 
smoke  of  the  city  ascended,  22the  oth- 
ers came  forth  out  of  the  city  against 
them;  so  they  were  in  the  midst  of  Israel, 
some  on  this  side,  and  some  on  that; 
and  they  smote  them,  so  that  they  let 
none  of  them  remain  or  escape.  23And 
they  captured  the  king  of  Ai  alive,  and 
brought  him  to  Joshua.  29And  the 
king  of  Ai  he  hanged  on  a tree  until 
eventide,  and  at  sunset  Joshua  gave  com- 
mand, and  they  took  his  body  down  from 
the  tree,  and  threw  it  down  at  the  entrance 
of  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  raised  over  it  a 
great  heap  of  stones,  which  is  there  to 
this  day. 


Early  Ephraimit e Prophetic 
Narratives 

the  inhabitants  of  Ai  in  the  wil- 
derness whither  they  had  pursued 
them,  and  they  all,  even  to  the 
last  man,  had  fallen  by  the  edge 
of  the  sword,  all  Israel  returned 
to  Ai,  and  put  it  to  the  sword. 
25And  all  that  fell  that  day  both 
men  and  women  were  twelve 
thousand,  even  all  the  men  of 
Ai.  26For  Joshua  did  not  draw 
back  his  outstretched  hand  in 
which  he  was  holding  the  jave- 
lin until  he  had  completely  de- 
stroyed0 all  the  inhabitants  of  Ai. 
27Oniy  the  cattle  and  the  spoil  of  that 
city  Israel  took  for  themselves,  accord- 
ing to  Jehovah’s  command  to  Joshua. 
28Then  Joshua  burnt  Ai,  and 
made  it  a heap  of  ruins, p as  it 
has  remained  to  this  day. 


§ 113.  The  Treaty  with  the  Gibeonites  and  their  Allies,  Josh.  93~27 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Josh.  9 iNow  the  Hivites{  employed  a 
ruse:  they  proceeded  to  take  provisions5 
and  old  sacks  upon  their  asses,  and  wine- 
skins, old  and  torn  and  bound  up,  5and 
old,  patched  shoes  on  their  feet,  and  old 
garments  upon  their  backs;11  and  all  the 
bread  with  which  they  provided  themselves 
was  dry  and  crumbled;  6band  they  said  to 
the  men  of  Israel,  We  have  come  from  a far 


Early  Ephraimit e Narratives 
9 3Now  when  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Gibeon  heard  what 
Joshua  had  done  to  Jericho 
and  Ai,  6athey  went  to  Joshua 
at  the  camp  in  Gilgal,  8and 
said  to  Joshua,  We  are  your 
servants.  And  Joshua  said  to 
them,  Who  are  you  ? and 
whence  do  you  come?  9And 


° 826  Heb.,  devoted. 

p g28  The  technical  word  descriptive  of  a mound  made  of  ruins ; same  root  as  the  modern 
Arabic  word  tell. 

§ 113  Two  distinct  narratives  and  traces  of  a third  are  found  in  this  chapter,  although 
they  have  been  very  closely  woven  together.  Briefly  the  evidence  of  composite  origin  is:  du- 
plication in  6b  and  Ca;  15a-  15b  and  15c;  21-  23  and  27 ; characteristic  designations  of  the  different 
actors  in  the  incident;  Hivites,  men  of  Israel , and  treaty , all  peculiar  to  the  Judean  prophetic 
narratives:  corresponding  to  these:  inhabitants  of  Gibeon,  Joshua  and  peace,  characteristic  of 
the  Ephraimite  stories.  Princes  of  the  congregation  and  the  corresponding  expression,  took  oath 
to  them,  and  the  language  and  representation  of  15c>  17 *21  reveal  the  hand  of  the  late  priestly 
writers.  It  is  also  significant  that  in  the  Judean  version,  not  Joshua  but  the  men  of  Israel 
speak  lor  the  Hebrews.  The  natural  inference  is  that  the  original  narrative  has  been  retained 
as  in  Judg.  1,  and  not  revised  as  in  §§  110  -112  under  the  influence  of  the  Northern  Israelitish 
tradition.  The  importance  attached  to  this  incident — as  is  suggested  by  the  presence  of  three 
distinct  versions— is  explained  when  one  appreciates  how  significant  in  early  Hebrew  history 
was  this  zone  of  independent  Canaanitish  cities  which  until  the  days  of  David  separated  the 
Israelites  in  the  south  from  those  in  the  north.  Cf.  map  opp.  p.  253. 

f 94  The  word  probably  means  villagers. 

* 94  Following  a slight  correction  of  the  present  Hebrew  text,  which  gives  the  improbable 
meaning,  made  as  if  they  had  been  ambassadors.  The  above  reading  is  confirmed  by  6-  12 • 14. 

h 95  Heb.,  upon  them. 


Their 

decep- 

tion 


269 


Their 

fate 


Josh.  96b]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh. 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

country;  now  therefore  make  a treaty  with 
us.  7And  the  men  of  Israel  said  to  the 
Hivites,  Perhaps  you  live  among  us;  then 
how  can  we  make  a treaty  with  you  ? But 
they  said , 12This  bread  of  ours  we  took  hot 
for  our  provision  out  of  our  houses  on  the 
day  we  set  out  to  come  to  you ; but  now  see, 
it  has  become  dry  and  crumbled;  13and 
these  wine-skins,  which  we  filled,  were  new ; 
now  see,  they  are  torn;  and  these  garments 
and  shoes  of  ours  have  become  old  because 
of  the  very  long  journey.  llbTherefore,  now 
make  a treaty  with  us.  14So  the  men  took  of 
their  provisions,  and  did  not  ask  counsel  at 
the  mouth  of  Jehovah,1  15b’  cbut  made  a 
treaty  with  them,  to  let  them  live;  and  the 
princes  of  the  congregation  took  oath  to  them. 

16b,  dgu(-  after  they  had  made  a treaty 
with  them  the  men  of  Israel  heard  that  they 
dwelt  among  them.  Then  they  called  them 
and  asked.  Why  did  you  come,  22b saying, 
‘We  are  very  far  from  you,’  when  you  dwell 
among  us?  23Now  therefore  you  are  under 
a curse,  and  there  shall  never  cease  to  be  of 
you  bondmen,  both  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers 
of  water  for  the  house  of  our  God. 

17And  the  Israelites  journeyed,  and  came  to  their 
cities  on  the  third  day.  Now  their  cities  were  Gib- 
eon,  Chephirah,  Beeroth  and  Kiriath-jearim.  18But 
the  Israelites  did  not  smite  them,  because  the  princes 
of  the  congregation  had  taken  oath  to  them  by  Je- 
hovah, the  God  of  Israel.  Then  all  the  congrega- 
tion murmured  against  the  princes.  19But  all  the 
princes  said  to  all  the  congregation,  We  have  taken 
oath  to  them  by  Jehovah  the  God  of  Israel ; so  now 
we  cannot  touch  them.  20This  let  us  do  to  them, 
namely,  let  them  live,  that  no  wrath  may  come  upon 
us  because  of  the  oath  which  we  gave  them.  21They 
shall  live!  and  become  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers 
of  water  to  all  the  congregation,  as  the  princes  said 
to  them. 


Early  Ephraimite  Narratives 

they  said  to  him,  From  a very 
far  country  your  servants  have 
Come  because  of  the  name  of  Je- 
hovah your  God;  for  we  have  heard 
the  fame  of  him,  and  all  that  he  did 
in  Egypt,  10and  all  that  he  did  to 
the  two  kings  of  the  Amorites,  who 
were  beyond  the  Jordan,  to  Sihon 
king  of  Heshbon,  and  to  Og  king 
of  Bashan,  who  was  at  Ashtaroth. 
llaAnd  our  elders  and  all  the 
inhabitants  of  our  country 
said  to  us,  ‘Take  provision  in 
your  hand  for  the  journey,  and 
go  to  meet  them  and  say  to 
them,  “We  are  your  ser- 
vants.” ’ 15aSo  Joshua  made 
peace  with  them. 

16a,  cgu^  p came  to  pass  at 
the  end  of  three  days,  that  they 
heard  that  they  were  their 
neighbors. 

22aThen  Joshua  called  for 
them  and  said  to  them,  Why 
have  you  deceived  us  ? 24And 
they  answered  Joshua,  Because 
your  servants  were  told,  how  that 
Jehovah  your  God  commanded  his 
servant  Moses  to  give  you  all  the 
land,  and  to  destroy  all  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  land  from  before  you  ; 
therefore  we  were  exceedingly  afraid 
for  our  lives  because  of  you,  and 
have  done  this  thing.  25 And  now, 
behold  we  are  in  your  power; 
do  as  it  seems  good  and  right 
to  you  to  do  to  us.  26And  so 
he  did  to  them,  and  saved 
them  from  the  hand  of  the  Is- 
raelites, so  that  they  did  not 
slay  them.  27And  Joshua 
made  them  that  day  hewers  of 
wood  and  drawers  of  water 
for  the  congregation,  and  for  the 
altar  of  Jehovah  (as  they  are  to  this 
day)  in  the  place  which  he  should 
choose. 


* 914  Gk.  has  princes. 

' 921  So  Gk.  Present  Heb.  has  at  the  beginning  of  the  verse,  and  the  princes  said  to  them. 
This  clause,  however,  is  inconsistent  with  the  context  (cf. 21b)  and  is  probably  a gloss  which  has 
crept  into  the  text. 


270 


Judg.  I1,  Josh.  10la]  CONQUESTS  IN  THE  SOUTH  [Josh.  10lb,  9* 


§ 114.  Conquests  in  Southern  Canaan,  Judg.  I1*21; 

Josh.  91’  \ 10,  132_4a,  1513-19' 63 


Early  Judean 
Judg.  1 'Now 
it  came  to  pass 
after  the  death  of 
Joshua,  that  the 
Israelites  in- 
quired of  Jeho- 
vah, Which  of  us 
shall  first  go  up 
to  fight  against 
the  Canaa  li- 
nes? 2 And  Je- 
hovah said,  Ju- 
dah shall  go ; 
behold  I will 
give  the  land 
into  his  power. 
3T  h e n Judah 
said  to  Simeon 


Later  Judean 
Josh.  10  laNow  it 
came  to  pass  when 
Adoni-bezekk  king 
of  Jerusalem  heard 
how  Joshua  had  tak- 
en Ai  and  had  complete- 
ly destroyed  it  (as  he 
had  done  to  Jericho  and 
her  king,  so  he  had  done 
to  Ai  and  her  king), 
and  how  the  men  of 
Gibeon  were  among 
them;  3Adoni-bezekk 
king  of  Jerusalem 
sent  to  Hoham  king 
of  Hebron,  and  to  Pi- 
ram  king  of  Jarmuth, 
and  to  Japhia  king  of 
Lachish,  and  to  De- 


Early  Ephraimite 
Josh.  10  When 
the  people  of  J eru- 
salerrJ  heard  lbhow 
the  inhabitants  of 
Gibeon  had  made 
peace  with  Israel 
2they  were  greatly 
afraid,  because 
Gibeon  was  a large 
city,  as  one  of  the 
royal  cities,  and 
because  it  was 
greater  than  A i , 
and  all  its  men 
were  mighty  war- 
riors. So  the  king 
of  Jerusalem  sent 
to  the  kings  of  the 


Late  Prophetic 
Narratives 
Josh.tUAnd 
it  came  t o 
pass,  when  all 
the  kings  that 
were  beyond 
Jordan,  in  the 
hill  - country, 
and  in  the 
low-land,  and 
all  along  the 
shore  of  the 
great  sea  in 
front  of  Leba- 
non, the  Hit- 
tite,  theAmor- 
ite,  the  Ca- 
naanite,  the 


§ 114  It  is  natural  that  the  Hebrew  traditions  regarding  the  conquest  of  Canaan  should 
differ  widely  regarding  detail.  Later  generations  saw  the  final  results  but  forgot  the  slow 
steps  whereby  their  forefathers  won  their  homes.  It  is  significant  that  the  oldest  traditions 
represent  this  process  as  gradual,  extending  through  several  centuries  and  the  work  of  individual 
tribes;  while  the  latest  conceive  of  Joshua  as  leading  the  united  tribes  in  one  uninterrupted 
career  of  conquest,  which  within  a few  years  left  the  Israelites  complete  masters  of  the  land. 
That  the  older  is  the  truer  view  is  confirmed  by  the  clear  testimony  of  contemporary  and  later 
history.  The  later,  however,  emphasizes  the  vital  fact  that  Jehovah  was  leading  his  people  on 
to  a noble  mission.  The  differences,  although  great,  are,  after  all,  only  variations  in  details. 

The  oldest  accounts  of  the  conquest  are  found  in  Judg.  1.  A later  editor  has  added  the 
words  after  the  death  of  Joshua  in  order  to  connect  the  book  with  Joshua,  which  precedes.  Cf. 
Introd.,  p.  26.  Its  literary  style  and  representation  indicate  that  the  chapter  as  a whole  consists 
of  extracts  or  epitomes  of  an  early  Judean  prophetic  account  of  the  initial  settlement  of 
Canaan.  The  original  extracts  have  been  abridged,  rearranged  ( e . g.f  vs.  20  belongs  after10)  and 
supplemented  at  certain  points  by  additional  notes  from  a prophetic  editor,  who  aimed  to  har- 
monize this  oldest  group  of  traditions  with  the  later  versions. 

In  Josh.  10  are  found,  very  closely  welded  together,  two  apparently  distinct  prophetic  ac- 
counts of  a war  against  a coalition  of  southern  kings,  which  present  some,  although  not  many, 
points  of  contact  with  the  opening  narrative  in  Judg.  1.  Expressions  like  moved  his  tongue  in 
21  and  your  servants  in  6a  are  characteristic  of  the  Judean  narratives;  while  inhabitants  of  Gibeon, 
make  peace,  and  others  were  found  to  be  peculiar  to  the  Ephraimite  version  of  the  preceding  tra- 
dition, § 113.  The  allusions  in  lb_4b  are  also  to  the  peace  recorded  in  the  Ephraimite  narrative 
of  9.  Two  distinct  accounts  of  the  battle  are  found  in  9_14.  The  prayer  of  52-  13  was  evidently 
not  introduced  by  the  author  of  10a-  n.  Furthermore,  in  one  version,  9a-  10b,  the  victory  is  won 
through  Joshua’s  activity  and  by  the  swords  of  the  Israelites;  but  in  the  other,  as  in  I Sam.  7t 
by  a miraculous  intervention,  n.  In  one  narrative  also  the  motive  of  the  five  kings  is  to  crush 
the  Israelites  because  they  have  obtained  possession  of  Ai  and  Gibeon;  in  the  other  the  Am- 
orite  kings  seek  simply  to  take  vengeance  on  Gibeon.  The  prominence  of  Joshua  in  both  nar- 
ratives indicates  that  the  Judean  version  is  probably  later  than  the  tradition  of  Judg.  1.  Frag- 
ments of  a still  later  (Deuteronomie)  account  of  the  war  in  the  south,  in  part  parallel  to  those 
in  Josh.  101*15,  are  found  in  91-  2 and  1028*43.  While  this  is  probably  based  upon  an  older  tradi- 
tion, it  well  illustrates  the  conceptions  of  the  nature  of  the  conquest  which  were  current  during 
and  after  the  exile.  A faint  remembrance  that  there  were  limitations  to  the  extent  of  the  initial 
conquest  is  recorded  even  by  the  late  prophetic  writer  in  Josh.  132_4a. 

k Josh.  10l-  3 So  Gk.  Heb.  has  Adoni-zedek.  It  is  probable  that  the  same  historical  inci- 
dent is  reflected  in  this  chapter  and  in  Judg.  1.  The  change  to  zedek  possibly  under  the  influ- 
ence of  Gen.  1418  would  be  easier  than  to  bezek , so  that  the  early  Judean  narratives  would  seem 
to  have  retained  the  original  reading,  although  it  is  not  impossible  that  an  original  zedek  has 
been  changed  to  bezek  through  the  influence  of  the  same  word  in  4-  5,  where  it  is  the  name  of  a 
town. 

1 Josh.  10lb  A plural  antecedent  is  required  by  the  plural  verb  in  2. 


271 


Advance 
of  the 
Hebrews 
to  attack 
the  peo- 
ples in 
southern 
Canaan 


Their 
first  de- 
cisive 
victory 


Judg.  I3,  Josh.  103]  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN 


[Josh.  102,  91 


Early  Judean 

h i s brother, 
Come  up  with 
me  into  the  ter- 
ritory allotted 
to  me  that  we 
may  fight 
against  the 
C anaanites  ; 
then  I will  also 
go  with  you 
into  the  terri- 
tory allotted  to 
you.  So  Sime- 
on went  with 
him. 


‘Then  Judah 
went  np ; and 
Jehovah  delivered 
the  Canaanites 
and  the  Perizzites 
into  their  power, 
so  that  they  smote 
ten  thousand  of 
them  in  Bezek. 
5And  they 
found  Adoni- 
bezek  in  Bezek, 
and  they  fought 
against  him 
and  smote  the 
Canaanites  and 
the  Perizzites. 


Later  Judean 

bir  king  of  Eglon. 
5bSo  the  king  of  Jeru- 
salem, the  king  of 
Ilebron,  the  king  of 
Jarmuth,  the  Icing  of 
Laehish  and  the  king 
of  Eglon,  gathered 
themselves  together 
with  all  their  hosts, 
and  encamped 
against  Gibeon. 
6a  And  the  men  of  Gib- 
eon  sent  to  Joshua  at 
the  camp  in  Gilgal, 
saying,  Do  not  aban- 
don your  servants, 
but  save  us.  7So 
Joshua  went  up  from 
Gilgal,  he  and  all  the 
people  of  war  with 
him,  and  all  the  mighty 
men  of  valor.  8 And  Je- 
hovah said  to  Joshua, 
Do  not  be  afraid  of 
them;  for  I have  deliver- 
ed them  into  thy  hands ; 
not  a man  of  them  shall 
stand  against  thee. 


Early  Ephraimite 

Amorites  saying, 
4Come  up  to  me, 
and  help  me,  and 
let  us  smite  Gibe- 
on; for  it  has  made 
peace  with  Joshua 
and  witli  the  Israel- 
ites; 5a’  cTherefore 
the  five  kings  of 
the  Amorites  went 
up  and  made  war 
against  it.  eaAnd 
the  inhabitants  of 
Gibeon  sent  to 
J oshua  saying, 
cbCome  up  to  us 
quickly  and  help 
us ; for  all  the  kings 
of  the  Amorites 
who  dwell  in  the 
hill-country  are 
gathered  together 
against  us.  9bSo  he 
went  up  from  Gil- 
gal all  that  night. 


LateProphetic 

Narratives 

Perizzite,  the 
Hivite  and  the 
Jebusite, 
heard  of  the 
capture  of 
Ai ;m  2they 
gathered 
themselves  to- 
gether  with 
one  accord  to 
fight  with 
Joshua  and 
with  Israel. 


9aJoshua  therefore  came  upon 
them  suddenly,  10band  slew  them 
with  a great  slaughter  at  Gibeon, 
and  chasing  them  by  the  way  of 
the  ascent  of  Beth-horon,  he  smote 
them  to  Azekah  and  Makkedah. 

12At  that  time  Joshua  spoke  to 
Jehovah  (in  the  day  when  Jehovah  de- 
livered up  the  Amorites  to  the  Israelites); 
and  he  said  in  the  presence  of  Israel, 
Sun  stand  still11  in  Gibeon, 

And  thou,  moon,  in  the  valley  of 
Aijalon. 

13Then  the  sun  stood  still, 

And  the  moon  stayed 
Until  the  nation  had  taken  venge- 
ance on  its  foes. 


10aAnd  Jehovah 
threw  them  into  con- 
fusion before  Israel. 
uAnd  as  they  fled 
from  before  Israel, 
while  they  were  at 
the  descent  of  Beth- 
horon,  Jehovah  cast 
down  great  stones 
from  heaven  upon 
them  even  to  Azekah, 
so  that  they  perished. 
There  were  more  who 
perished  from  the 
hailstones  than  those 


m Josh.  91  Heb.,  it,  referring  to  the  capture  of  Ai.  . ..... 

“Josh.  1012  Heb.,  be  silent.  So  in  13a.  It  may  mean,  cease  thy  shining. anticipating  the 
storm  and  darkness  which  were  to  indicate  Jehovah’s  presence;  but  the  parallel  in  33b  and  the 
note  added  by  the  Judean  author  tend  to  support  the  usual  interpretation  given  above  It  is 
the  natural,  poetical  method  of  stating  that,  the  overthrow  of  their  foes  was  as  complete  as 
would  ordinarily  require  two  days  to  accomplish. 

272 


JUDG.  I6] 


CONQUESTS  IN  THE  SOUTH  [Josh.  1013,  11 


Early  Judean 


Later  Judean 

Is  not  this  written  in  the  Book  of 
Jashar?  So  the  sun  remained 
standing  in  the  zenith  and  did  not 
hasten  to  go  down  nearly  a whole 
day  long.  14And  never  before  or 
after  was  there  a day  like  that,  on 
which  Jehovah  hearkened  to  the 
voice  of  a man;  for  Jehovah  was 
fighting  for  Israel. 


Early  Ephraimit  e 
Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

whom  the  Israelites 
slew  with  the  sword. 
15Then  Joshua  re- 
turned and  all  Israel 
with  him  to  the  camp 
at  Gilgal. 


6And  Adoni-bezek  fled, 
but  they  pursued  and 
caught  him,  and  cut  off 
his  thumbs  and  his  great 
toes.  7And  Adoni-bezek 
said,  Seventy  kings  with 
their  thumbs  and  their 
great  toes  cut  off,  pick  up 
crumbs  under  my  table; 
as  I have  done,  so  God 
hath  requited  me!  And 
they  brought  him  to  Jeru- 
salem and  there  he  died. 
8Then  the  Judahites  attacked 
Jerusalem,  and  took  it,  put- 
ting its  inhabitants  to  the 
sword  and  setting  the  city  on 
fire. 

Josh.  15  63But  the  Ju- 
dahites could  not  dispos- 
sess the  Jebusites,  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem; 
but  the  Jebusites  dwell  to 
this  day  with  the  Judah- 
ites at  Jerusalem.0 


16And  these  five  kings  fled,  and  hid  themselves  Fate  of 
in  the  cave  at  Makkedah.  17 And  it  was  told  quered 
Joshua,  saying.  The  five  kings  are  found,  hidden 
in  the  cave  at  Makkedah.  18Then  Joshua  said. 

Roll  great  stones  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and 
station  men  by  it  to  keep  them;  19but  do  not 
remain  yourselves;  pursue  your  enemies  and 
attack  them  in  the  rear;  do  not  allow  them  to 
enter  their  cities,  for  Jehovah  your  God  hath  de- 
livered them  into  your  power.  20 And  when 
Joshua  and  the  Israelites  had  made  an  end  of 
slaying  them  with  a very  great  slaughter,  until 
they  were  consumed  and  the  remnant  which  re- 
mained of  them  had  entered  into  the  fortified 
cities,  21all  the  people  returned  to  the  camp  to 
Joshua  at  Makkedah  in  peace,  no  one  uttering  a 
word  against  any  of  the  Israelites. 

22Then  Joshua  said,  Open  the  mouth  of  the 
cave,  and  bring  out  to  me  those  five  kings  from 
the  cave.  23 And  they  did  so,  and  brought  out 
those  five  kings  to  him  from  the  cave,  the  king  of 
Jerusalem,  the  king  of  Hebron,  the  king  of  Jar- 
muth,  the  king  of  Lachish,  the  king  of  Eglon. 

24 And  when  they  had  brought  those  kings  out  to 
Joshua,  Joshua  called  for  all  the  men  of  Israel, 
and  said  to  the  chiefs  of  the  men  of  war  who  went 
with  him.  Come  near,  put  your  feet  upon  the 
necks  of  these  kings.  So  they  came  near,  and 
put  their  feet  upon  their  necks.  25 And  Joshua  said 
to  thorn,  Do  not  be  afraid  nor  dismayed ; be  courageous 
and  strong  ; for  thus  shall  J ehovah  do  to  all  your  enemies 


° Josh.  1563  Judg.  12|  has  the  following  variant,  also  from  the  early  Judean  group  of  narra- 
tives: But  the  Benjamites  did  not  dispossess  the  Jebusites  who  inhabited  Jerusalem;  but  the 
Jebusites  dwell  to  this  day  with  the  Benjamites  in  Jerusalem.  Josh.  1563  undoubtedly  has  the 
older  reading.  The  change  to  Benjamites  may  be  due  to  the  theory  that  Jerusalem  was 
within  the  territory  of  Benjamin,  or  may  be  simply  an  editorial  effort  to  reconcile  Judg.  Is 
and  2l.  That  8 is  a later  addition  to  the  older  narrative  of  Judg.  1 is  clear.  Like  4-  9-  10-  18  it  re- 
flects the  late  Jewish  tendency  to  regard  the  conquest  of  Canaan  as  complete  in  a generation 
rather  than  two  centuries.  Jerusalem  was  first  captured  by  David,  II  Sam.  56-9. 


273 


Further 
con- 
quests in 
the 
south 


Capture 
ana  fate 
of  He- 
bron 


Judg.  I9]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh.  1025 


Early  Judean 


Judg.  1 

9And  after- 
ward the  Ju- 
dahites  went 
to  fight 
against  the 
Canaanites 
who  dwelt  in 
the  hills  and 
in  the  South 
Country  and 
in  the  low- 
lands. 


Later  Judean 

against  whom  you  fight.  26And  afterward  Joshua 
smote  them  and  put  them  to  death  and  hanged 
their  bodies  on  five  trees;  and  they  hung  upon 
the  trees  until  the  evening.  27 And  it  came  to 
pass  at  sunset,  that  at  the  command  of  Joshua 
they  were  taken  down  off  the  trees,  and  cast  into 
the  cave  in  which  they  had  hidden  themselves, 
and  great  stones  were  laid  on  the  mouth  of  the 
cave,  which  remain  to  this  very  day. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

28And  Joshua  took  Makkedah  on  that  day  and  put  it  and  Con- 
its  king  to  the  sword.  He  completely  destroyed  all  the  per-  Siakke- 
sons  who  were  in  it;  he  left  none  remaining;  and  he  did  to  the 
king  of  Makkedah,  as  he  had  done  to  the  king  of  Jericho. 

29Then  Joshua  and  all  Israel  with  him  passed  on  from  ofLib- 
Makkedah  to  Libnah,  and  fought  against  Libnah.  30 And 
Jehovah  delivered  it  also  with  its  king  into  the  power  of 
Israel,  and  he  put  it  to  the  sword  with  all  the  persons  who 
were  in  it;  he  left  none  remaining  in  it;  and  he  did  to  its  king 
as  he  had  done  to  the  king  of  Jericho. 

31  And  Joshua  and  all  Israel  with  him  proceeded  from  of  La- 
Libnah  to  Lachish,  and  encamped  against  it  and  fought 
against  it.  32 And  Jehovah  delivered  Lachish  into  the  power 
of  Israel.  And  he  took  it  on  the  second  day,  and  put  it  to 
the  sword  with  all  the  persons  who  were  in  it,  just  as  he  had 
done  at  Libnah.  33Then  Horam  king  of  Gezer  came  up  to 
help  Lachish;  and  Joshua  smote  him  and  his  people,  until 
he  had  left  him  none  remaining. 

34 And  Joshua  and  all  Israel  with  him  passed  on  from  Of  Eglon 
Lachish  to  Eglon;  and  they  encamped  against  it  and  fought 
against  it;  35and  they  took  it  on  that  day,  and  put  it  to  the 
sword.  And  all  the  persons  who  were  in  it  he  completely  de- 
stroyed that  day,  just  as 


10And  Judah  went 
against  the  Canaanites 
who  dwelt  in  Hebron 
(the  earlier  name  of 
Hebron  was  Kiriath- 
arba);  and  they  slew 
Sheshai,  and  Ahiman, 
and  Talmai.  20And 
they  gave  Hebron  to 


Later  Judean 
Jo  S ll , 15  13And  to  Caleb 
the  son  of  Jephunneh  he  gave 
a portion  among  the  Judah- 
ites,  according  to  the  com- 
mandment of  Jehovah  to 
Joshua,  even  Kiriath-arba, 
the  chief  city  of  Anak  (that 
is,  Hebron). p 14 And  Ca- 
leb drove  out  from 
there  the  three  sons  of 
Anak,  Sheshai,  Ahiman, 


he  had  done  at  Lachish. 

36Then  Joshua  and 
all  Israel  with  him  went 
up  from  Eglon  to  He- 
bron; and  they  fought 
against  it;  37and  they 
took  it  and  put  it  to  the 
sword  with  its  king,  and 
all  its  cities;  and  all  the 
persons  who  were  in  it. 


p Josh.  1513  Heb.,  father  of  Anak;  Syr.,  city  of  Arba,  the  father  of  giants;  Gk.,  city  of  Arba, 
the  metropolis  of  Anak.  The  verse  appears  to  be  an  editorial  introduction  to  the  primitive 
account  of  Caleb’s  conquests. 


274 


JUDG.  I20] 


CONQUESTS  IN  THE  SOUTH  [Josh.  1514,  1037 


Early  Judean 

Caleb,  as  Moses  had 
commanded ; and  he 
drove  out  from  there 
the  three  sons  of  Anak. 


11  And  from  there  he 
went  against  the  in- 
habitants of  Debir  (the 
older  name  of  Debir 
was  Kiriath-sepher). 

12 And  Caleb  said,  To 
the  man  who  attacks 
Kiriath-sepher  and 
takes  it  I will  give  Ach- 
sah  my  daughter  in 
marriage.  13And  Ca- 
leb’s younger  broth- 
er, Othniel  the  son  of 
Kenaz,  took  it;  and 
Caleb  gave  Achsah  his 
daughter  to  him  in 
marriage.  14And 
when  she  came  to  him 
her  incited  her  to  ask 
of  her  father  a field; 
and  she  alighted  from 
her  ass;  and  when  Ca- 
leb said  to  her,  What 
is  it?  15she  answered, 

Give  me  a present  ;s 
since  you  have  as- 
signed me  to  the  South 
Country,  give  me  now 
springs  of  water.4  So 
Caleb  gave  her  the  up- 
per and  lower  springs. 

16And  the  children  of  the 
Kenite,  Moses’  father-in-law," 


Later  Judean 

and  Talmai,  the 
dren  of  Anak. 


chil- 


up 

the 


15And  he  went 
from  there  against 
inhabitants  of  Debir; 
now  the  older  name  of 
Debir  was  Kiriath- 
sepher.  16And  Caleb 
said.  To  the  man  who 
attacks  Kiriath-sepher 
and  takes  it  I will  give 
Achsah  my  daughter  in 
marriage.  17And  the 
brother  of  Caleb,  Oth- 
niel the  son  of  Kenaz, 
took  it;  and  Caleb  gave 
Achsah  his  daughter  to 
him  in  marriage.  18And 
when  she  came  to  him 
her  incited  her  to  ask 
of  her  father  a field ; and 
she  alighted  from  her 
ass;  and  when  Caleb 
said  to  her,  What  is  it? 
19she  answered,  Give 
me  a present  ;s  since 
you  have  assigned  me 
to  the  South  Country, 
give  me  now  springs  of 
water.4  So  he  gave  her 
the  upper  and  lower 
springs. 


Late  Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

He  left  none  remaining, 
just  as  he  had  done  at 
Eglon;  but  he  complete- 
ly destroyed  it  with  all 
that  were  in  it. 

38And  Joshua  and  all  of  Debir 
Israel  with  him  returned 
to  Debir,  and  fought 
against  it;  39and  he  took 
it  with  its  king  and  all  its 
cities;  and  they  put 
them  to  the  sword,  and 
completely  destroyed  all 
the  persons  who  were  in 
it,  leaving  none  remain- 
ing; as  he  had  done  to 
Hebron,  so  he  did  to 
Debir,  and  to  its  king.q 


40So  Joshua  smote  all  the  land,  the  hill- 
country  and  the  South  Country,  and  the 


q Josh.  1039  So  Gk.  A scribe  has  added  to  Heb.  the  repetitious  clause,  as  he  had  done  also 
to  Libnah  and  its  king. 

7 Judg.  I14,  Josh.  1518  Heb.,  she  incited  him.  but  the  change  in  the  pronouns  adopted  above 
is  absolutely  demanded  by  the  subsequent  context. 

8 Judg.  I15  and  Josh.  1519  Heb.,  blessing. 

1 Judg.  1 1 Josh.  1519  The  translation  of  this  Heb.  word  is  doubtful.  Elsewhere  it  has  the 
meaning  basin.  Possibly  it  is  better  to  translate  it  as  a proper  name:  Gullath-maim. 

u Judg.  I16  Gk.  supplies  Jethro.  In  the  Judean  narrative  Hobah  would  be  expected.  Cf. 
Num.  1029. 


275 


Judg.  I16]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh.  1040 


Early  Judean 

Con-  went  up  out  of  the  city  of  palm 
ni'the*  trees  [Jericho]  with  the  Judah - 
country  ites  into  the  wilderness  of  Ju- 
southern  dah,  which  is  south  of  Arad; 
Ju,Llh  and  they  went  and  dwelt  with 
theirw  people.  17Then  Judah 
went  with  Simeon  his  brother, 
and  they  smote  the  Canaan-  j 
ites  who  inhabited  Zephath 
and  completely  destroyed  it. 
Therefore  the  name  of  the 
city  was  called  Ilormah  [De- 
voted to  destruction],  18Judah 
also  took  Gaza,  Ashkelon,  and  Ek- 
ron  with  the  territory  belonging  to 
them.  19And  Jehovah  was  | 
with  Judah,  so  that  he  gained  , 
possession  of  the  hill-coun-  j 
try;  but  he  could  not  drive 
out  the  inhabitants  of  the 
plain  because  they  had  chari- 
ots of  iron. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 
lowlandv  and  the  slopes  and  all  their  kings 
and  he  left  none  remaining,  but  he  com- 
pletely destroyed  all  that  breathed,  as 
Jehovah  the  God  of  Israel  commanded. 
41  And  Joshua  smote  them  from  Kadesh- 
barnea  even  to  Gaza  and  all  the  country 
of  Goshen,  even  to  Gibeon.  42And  all 
these  kings  and  their  land  did  Joshua  take 
at  one  time,  because  Jehovah  the  God  of 
Israel  fought  for  Israel.  43Then  Joshua 
and  all  Israel  with  him  returned  to  the  camp 
at  Gilgal. 

13  2This  is  the  land  that  yet  remains:  all 
the  regions  of  the  Philistines,  and  all  the 
territory  of  the  Geshurites;  3from  the  Shi- 
hor,  which  is  before  Egypt,  even  to  the 
border  of  Ekron  northward  (it  is  reckoned 
to  the  Canaanites);  the  five  tyrants  of  the 
Philistines;  the  Gazites,  and  the  Ashdodites, 
the  Ashkelonites,  the  Gittites,  and  the  Ek- 
ronites;  also  the  Avvim,  4aon  the  south. 


§115.  Conquests  in  Northern  Canaan,  Judg.  I22-36  (cf.  Josh.  1610), 
Judg.  42b|  23’  2‘,  Josh.  11,  134b-® 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Cagture  Judg.  1 22And  the  house  of  Joseph  also  went  up  against  Bethel;  and  Jeho- 
ci  by  the  vah  was  with  them.  23 And  the  house  of  Joseph  reconnoitred  at  Bethel  (the 
Joseph4  earlier  name  of  the  city  was  Luz).  24 And  the  spies  saw  a man  coming  out 
of  the  city  and  they  said  to  him,  Show  us,  we  pray  you,  the  way  to  enter  the 
city,  and  we  will  treat  you  kindly.  25So  he  showed  them  the  way  to  enter 
the  city;  and  they  put  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  to  the  sword;  but  they  let 
the  man  go  with  all  his  family.  26 And  the  man  went  to  the  land  of  the 
Hittites,  and  built  a city,  and  called  its  name  Luz,  which  is  its  name  to  this  day. 


v Josh.  1040  Heb.,  Shephelah.  the  strip  of  land  extending  north  and  south  between  the  Judean 
hills  and  the  Philistine  plain.  Josh.  132  Aquila  and  Lat.,  Galilee. 

w Judg.  I16  Heb.,  the  people.  Owing  to  a very  common  and  natural  mistake  the  pronominal 
suffix  has  apparently  been  dropped  by  a copyist.  Certain  Gk.  texts  recognizing  this  error  read, 
Amalekites. 

§ 115  The  different  groups  of  traditions  regarding  the  initial  conquests  in  northern  Canaan 
continue  and  closely  resemble  those  regarding  the  corresponding  movements  in  the  south. 
The  early  Judean  narratives,  after  recounting  the  capture  of  Bethel,  which  is  implied  but  un- 
recorded in  the  other  strands,  significantly  add  a long  list,  of  the  Canaanitish  cities  which  con- 
tinued unconquered  after  the  Hebrews  had  entered  and  gained  partial  possession  of  the  land. 
The  later  Judean  prophetic  traditions  in  Josh.  11,  which  continue  those  in  chapter  10.  preserves 
the  memory  of  a war  in  the  north  in  which  the  Israelites  under  Joshua  are  represented  as  gaining 
a signal  victory  over  Jabin  king  of  Hazor  and  his  allies.  In  Judg.  4 is  found  inextricably  inter- 
woven with  the  Ephraimite  record  of  the  later  victory  over  the  Canaanites  led  by  Sisera  (cf. 
§ 139),  remnants  of  what  may  have  been  the  early  Judean  account.  In  its  present  form  it 
is  from  a later  prophetic  editor,  but,  consistently  with  the  earlier  narrative,  it  represents  the  con- 
quest of  the  Canaanites  as  gradual  and  contains  no  reference  to  Joshua.  As  in  Josh.  10,  so  in 
11  the  Ephraimite  account  of  the  war  is  supplemented  by  a summary  of  Joshua’s  conquests  in 

276 


JtTDG.  4 2b] 

Early  Ju- 
dean 
4 2bNow 
Jabin  king 
of  Canaan, 
who  reign- 
ed at  Ha- 
zor,  fought 
against  the 
1 sraelites. 
23But  on  that 
day  God  sub- 
dued Jabin 
the  king  of 
Ca  naan  be- 
fore the  Is- 
raelites. 
21  And  the 

fower  of  the 
sraelites 
prevailed 
more  and 
more  over 
Jabin  the 
king  of  Ca- 
naan until 
they  de- 
stroyed him 
altogether. 


the  north.  It 
from  the  hand 
recapitulation 
1 Josh.  II1 


CONQUESTS  IN  THE  NORTH  [Josh.  II1* 2 


Later  Judean 
Josh.  11  JNow  when  Ja- 
bin king  of  Hazor  heard  of 
Joshua’s  victories  in  the 
southx  he  sent  to  Jobab  king 
of  Madon  and  to  the  king  of 
Shimron  and  to  the  king  of 
Achshaph,  4and  they  went 
out  together  with  all  their 
hosts,  a people  as  numerous 
as  the  sand  which  is  on  the 
sea-shore  and  with  very 
many  horses  and  chariots. 
5 And  when  all  these  kings 
met  as  appointed,  they 
came  and  encamped  to- 
gether at  the  waters  of  Me- 
rom  to  fight  with  Israel. 
6Then  Jehovah  said  to 
Joshua,  Do  not  be  afraid 
of  them,  for  to-morrow  at 
this  time  I will  deliver  them 
up  all  slain  before  Israel; 
thou  shalt  hamstring  their 
horses  and  burn  their  chari- 
ots with  fire.  7So  Joshua 
and  all  the  warriors  with 
him  surprised  and  attacked 
them  by  the  waters  of  Me- 
rom.  8And  Jehovah  de- 
livered them  into  the  power 
of  Israel,  so  that  they  de- 
feated them,  and  pursued 
them  to  Great-Sidon,  and 
to  Misrephoth-maim,  and 
to  the  valley  of  Mizpah 
eastward.  And  they  kept 
smiting  them  until  they  left 
none  of  them  remaining. 
9 And  Joshua  did  to  them  as 
Jehovah  commanded  him: 
he  hamstrung  their  horses 
and  burnt  their  chariots 
with  fire. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Josh.  11  *The  Icing  of  Hazor  victory 
sent  2to  the  kings  who  were  on  bin.  king 
the  north  in  the  hill-country,  o£Hazor 
and  in  the  Arabah  south  of 
Chinneroth,  and  in  the  lowland, 
and  in  the  heights  of  Dor  on  the 
west,  3to  the  Canaanites  on  the 
east  and  on  the  west,  and  the 
Amorites,  the  Hittites,  the  Periz- 
zites,  and  the  Jebusitesinthe  hill- 
country,  and  the  Hivites  under 
Hermon  in  the  land  of  Mizpah. 

10Then  Joshua  turned  back  at 
that  time,  and  captured  Hazor, 
and  put  its  king  to  the  sword; 
for  Hazor  was  formerly  the 
head  of  all  those  kingdoms. 
nAnd  they  put  all  the  persons 
who  were  in  it  to  the  sword, 
completely  destroying  them;  not 
one  was  left  alive;  and  he  burnt 
Hazor  with  fire.  12And  all  the 
cities  of  those  kings,  and  all  their 
kings,  Joshua  captured  and  put 
to  the  sword,  and  completely 
destroyed  them;  as  Moses 
the  servant  of  Jehovah  com- 
manded. 13Only  all  the  cities 
that  stood  on  their  mounds,  Is- 
rael did  not  burn,  except  Hazor, 

— that  Joshua  burned.  14And 
all  the  spoil  of  these  cities  and 
the  cattle  the  Israelites  took 
for  themselves;  but  they  put  all 
the  men  to  the  sword,  until 
they  had  destroyed  them  all; 
they  did  not  leave  one  alive  that 
breathed.  15 As  Jehovah  com- 
manded Moses  his  servant,  so 
did  Moses  command  Joshua; 
therefore  Joshua  did  not  leave 
anything  undone  of  all  that  Je- 
hovah commanded  Moses. 


also  apparently  incorporates  older  material;  but  as  a whole  it  obviously  comes 
of  a late  (Deut.)  prophetic  writer.  This  summary  is  in  turn  modified  by  a 
of  the  territory  not  conquered  by  the  Hebrews  (Josh.  134b-6). 

Heb.,  it,  referring  to  Joshua’s  victories  in  the  south. 

277 


Judg.  I27]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh.  132a 


Early  Judean 

The  ter-  1 2,But  Manasseh  did  not  drive  out  the  inhabitants 
and  peo-  of  Bethshean  and  its  dependencies,*1  nor  of  Taanach  and 
con-  ° its  dependencies,  nor  the  inhabitants  of  Dor  and  its 
2y  the  dependencies,  nor  the  inhabitants  of  Ibleam  and  its 
c brows  jepenjencieS)  nor  (]ie  inhabitants  of  Megiddo  and  its  de- 
pendencies: but  the  Canaanites  maintained  their  hold 
in  that  region.  28However  when  Israel  became  strong 
they  put  the  Canaanites  to  taskwork,  but  did  not  com- 
pletely drive  them  out.  29And  Ephraim  did  not  drive 
out  the  Canaanites  who  dwelt  in  Gezer;  but  the  Canaan- 
ites remained  in  Gezer  among  them.b  30Zebulun  did 
not  drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  Kitron,  nor  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Nahalol;  but  the  Canaanites  remained  among 
them  and  became  subject  to  taskwork.  31  Asher  did  not 
drive  out  the  inhabitants  of  Acco,  nor  the  inhabitants  of 
Sidon,  nor  of  Ahlab,  nor  of  Achzib,  nor  of  Helbah,  nor  of 
Aphik,  nor  of  Rehob;  32but  the  Asherites  dwelt  among 
the  Canaanitish  inhabitants  of  the  land;  for  they  could 
not  drive  them  out.  33Naphtali  did  not  drive  out  the 
inhabitants  of  Beth-shemesh,  nor  the  inhabitants  of 
Beth-anath;  but  he  dwelt  among  the  Canaanitish  in- 
habitants of  the  land;  nevertheless  the  inhabitants  of 
Beth-shemesh  and  of  Beth-anath  became  subject  to 
taskwork.  34And  the  Amorites  forced  the  Danites  into 
the  hill-country;  for  they  would  not  allow  them  to  come 
down  into  the  plain;  35but  the  Amorites  maintained  their 
hold  in  Mount  Heres,  in  Aijalon,  and  in  Shaalbim;  yet 
when  the  house  of  Joseph  grew  stronger  they  became  sub- 
ject to  taskwork. 

Bounda-  36And  the  boundary  of  the  Edomites0  ran  from  the 
roei  s Scorpion  Pass  tod  the  Rock  and  onward.  . . . 


Late  Prophetic 

N arratives 

J ehovah  said 
to  J oshua,  13 
2aThisis  the  land 
that  remains : 
4ball  the  land  of 
the  Canaanites 
even  from  Arah 
that  belongs  to 
the  Sidonians,  to 
Aphek,  to  the 
boundary  of  the 
Amorites;  5and 
the  land  of  the 
Gebalites,  and 
all  Lebanon  to- 
ward the  east 
from  Baal-gad 
under  Mount 
Hermon  to  the 
entrance  of  Ha- 
math; 6all  the 
inhabitants  of 
the  hill-country 
from  Lebanon 
to  Misrephoth- 
maim,  even  all 
the  Sidonians; 
them  I will  drive 
out  from  before 
the  Israelites; 
only  allot  it  to 
Israel  for  an  in- 
heritance, as  I 
have  command- 
ed thee. 


•Judg.  I27  Heb.,  daughters. 

b Judg.  I29  Josh.  1610  contains  a more  complete  version,  confirming  the  inference  that  the 
account  of  the  conquest  in  Judg.  1 is  an  epitome  of  a fuller  narrative  in  the  early  Judean  source. 
The  Joshua  passage  reads  as  follows:  And  they  did  not  drive  out  the  Canaanites  who  dwelt  in 
Gezer;  but  the  Canaanites  dwell  in  the  midst  of  Ephraim  to  this  day  and  have  become  servants  to 
do  taskwork. 

0 Judg.  I36  Heb.,  Amorites.  Certain  Gk.  texts  have  the  reading,  Edomites , and  the  two  words 
in  Heb.  are  easily  mistaken.  Cf.  II  Sam.  812'  ,3,  II  Kings  166.  This  is  required  if  the  Scorpion 
Pass  be  identified  with  the  one  bearing  that  name,  which  was  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Dead 
Sea.  In  that  case  the  verse  is  apparently  a fragment  of  an  originally  much  longer  account  of 
Israel’s  boundaries;  and  Amorites  has  been  substituted  for  Edomites  in  order  to  bring  it  into 
harmony  with  the  preceding  verses,  with  which  it  originally  had  no  connection.  Otherwise  the 
Scorpion  Pass  here  referred  to  was  located  somewhere  in  southern  Ephraim. 

d Judg.  I36  Heb.,  from.  Probably  a case  of  dittography. 


278 


REVIEW  OF  THE  CONQUEST 


[Josh.  11 16 


§ 116.  Late  Review  of  the  Conquest,  Josh.  1 116— 1224,  214!_45 
Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Josh.  11  16So  Joshua  took  all  that  land,  the  hill-country  and  all  the  South  Extent 
Country,  and  all  the  land  of  Goshen,  and  the  coast-plain,  and  the  Arabah,  con- 
and  the  hill-country  of  Israel,  with  its  lowlands,  17from  the  bald  mountain  unde? 
which  rises  toward  Seir  to  Baal-gad  in  the  valley  of  Lebanon  under  Mount  ershiffof 
Hermon.  He  also  captured  all  their  kings  and  smote  them  and  put  them  to  Joshua 
death.  18Joshua  carried  on  war  a long  time  with  all  those  kings.  19There 
was  not  a city  which  made  peace  with  the  Israelites,  except  the  Hivites,  the 
inhabitants  of  Gibeon;  they  took  all  in  battle.  20For  it  was  ordained  by 
Jehovah  that  they  should  defiantly  resist  Israel  in  battle, e that  he  might  com- 
pletely destroy  them,  that  they  might  have  no  favor  shown  them,  but  that  he 
might  annihilate  them  as  Jehovah  commanded  Moses.  21And  Joshua  came 
at  that  time,  and  cut  off  the  Anakim  from  the  hill-country,  from  Hebron, 
from  Debir,  and  from  Anab,  and  from  all  the  hill-country7  of  Judah,  and 
from  all  the  hill-country  of  Israel;  Joshua  completely  destroyed  them  with 
their  cities.  22There  was  none  of  the  Anakim  left  in  the  land  of  the  Israel- 
ites, except  that  in  Gaza,  in  Gath  and  in  Ashdod,  some  remained.  23Thus 
Joshua  took  the  whole  land  according  to  all  that  Jehovah  had  commanded 
Moses.  Then  Joshua  gave  it  for  an  inheritance  to  Israel  according  to  their 
divisions  by  their  tribes.  And  the  land  had  rest  from  war. 

12  xNow  these  are  the  kings  of  the  land  whom  the  Israelites  smote,  and  Con- 
whose  land  they  took  possession  of  beyond  the  Jordan  toward  the  sunrising,  east  of 
from  the  valley  of  the  Arnon  to  Mount  Hermon,  and  all  the  Arabah  on  the  dan 
east:  2Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites,  who  dwelt  in  Heshbon  whose  dominion 
extended  from  Aroer,  which  is  on  the  edge  of  the  valley  of  Amon,  and  in- 
cluded the  middle  of  the  valley,  and  half  Gilead,  even  to  the  river  Jabbok, 
the  boundary  of  the  Ammonites.  3And  on  the  east,  the  Arabah  to  the 
Sea  of  Chinneroth,  and  to  the  sea  of  the  Arabah,  even  the  Salt  Sea,  east- 
ward, in  the  direction  of  Beth-jeshimoth;  and  from  Teman,  under  the  slope 
of  Pisgah.  4And  the  territory  of  Og  king  of  Bashan,  who  belonged  to  the 
survivors  of  the  Rephaim,  and  who  dwelt  at  Ashtaroth  and  at  Edrei,  °and 
ruled  in  Mount  Hermon,  and  in  Salecah,  and  in  all  Bashan,  to  the  border  of 
the  Geshurites  and  the  Maacathites,  and  half  Gilead,  even  to  the  border  of 
Sihon  king  of  Heshbon.  6Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah  and  the  Israelites 


§ 116  Like  the  summaries  of  the  conquests  in  the  north  and  south  respectively,  found  at 
the  end  of  Josh.  10  and  11,  this  long  review  of  the  wars  and  victories  of  the  Hebrews  reflects  the 
later  traditional  conceptions  of  these  events.  All  the  Israelites,  under  the  leadership  of  Joshua, 
are  represented  as  conquering  the  entire  land  in  one  series  of  campaigns.  This  section,  like  the 
preceding  summaries,  is  clearly  from  the  late  prophetic  (Deut.)  editor,  and  forms  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  first  half  of  the  book  of  Joshua,  129-24,  a formal  list  of  conquered  princes.  It  resem- 
bles the  lists  of  captives  and  spoil,  which  appear  frequently  on  the  Assyrian  monuments.  Id 
the  Heb.  text  the  account-book  form  is  retained.  Thus: 


The  king  of  Jerusalem one 

The  king  of  Hebron one 

The  king  of  Jarmuth one 

etc.,  etc etc. 


All  the  kings thirty-one 


• ll20  Heb  , For  it  was  of  Jehovah  to  harden  their  hearts  to  meet  Israel  in  battle. 

279 


Con- 
quests 
west  of 
the  Jor- 
dan 


The  real- 
ization 
of  J eho- 
vah’s 
promises 


Josh.  126]  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

had  defeated  them,  and  Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah  had  given  it  into  the 
possession  of  the  Reubenites,  the  Gadites  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh. 

7And  these  are  the  kings  of  the  land  whom  Joshua  and  the  Israelites 
defeated  on  the  west  of  the  Jordan,  from  Baal-gad  in  the  valley  of  Lebanon 
even  to  the  bald  mountain  which  rises  towards  Seir.  And  Joshua  gave  it  to 
the  tribes  of  Israel  for  a possession  according  to  their  divisions;  8in  the  hill- 
country  and  in  the  lowland,  and  in  the  Arabah,  and  in  the  slopes,  and  in  the 
wilderness  and  in  the  South  Country,  the  territory  of  the  Hittites,  the  Amor- 
ites,  and  the  Canaanites,  the  Perizzites,  the  Hivites  and  the  Jebusites;  9the 
king  of  Jericho,  one;  the  king  of  Ai,  which  is  beside  Bethel,  one;  10the  king  of 
Jerusalem,  one;  the  king  of  Hebron,  one;  11the  king  of  Jarmuth,  one;  the  king 
of  Laehish,  one;  12the  king  of  Egion,  one;  the  king  of  Gezer,  one;  13the  king 
of  Debir,  one;  the  king  of  Geder,  one;  14the  king  of  Hormah,  one;  the 
king  of  Arad,  one;  15the  king  of  Libnah,  one;  the  king  of  Adullam,  one;  16the 
king  of  Makkedah,  one;  the  king  of  Bethel,  one;  17the  king  of  Tappuah,  one; 
the  king  of  Hepher,  one;  18the  king  of  Aphek,  one;  the  king  of  Lassharon, 
one;  19the  king  of  Madon,  one;  the  king  of  Hazor,  one;  20the  king  of  Shimron- 
meron,  one;  the  king  of  Achshaph,  one;  21the  king  of  Taanach,  one;  the 
king  of  Megiddo,  one;  22the  king  of  Kedesh  one;  the  king  of  Jokneam  in 
Carmel,  one;  23the  king  of  Dor  on  the  height  of  Dor,  one;  the  king  of  the 
people  belonging  to  Gilgal,  one;  24the  king  of  Tirzak  one — in  all  thirty-one 
kings. 

21  43So  Jehovah  gave  to  Israel  all  the  land  which  he  promised  with  an 
oath  to  give  to  their  fathers,  and  they  took  possession  of  it,  and  dwelt  in  it. 
44And  Jehovah  gave  them  peace  on  all  sides  according  to  all  that  he  promised 
with  an  oath  to  their  fathers;  and  not  a man  of  all  their  enemies  stood  before 
them;  Jehovah  delivered  all  their  enemies  into  their  power.  45None  of  the 
good  promises  which  Jehovah  had  given  to  the  house  of  Israel  failed;  all 
were  fulfilled. 


280 


Josh.  131] 


ASSIGNMENT  OF  CANAAN 


[Josh.  141 


JFbshua’s 

instruc- 

tions 


Prepara- 
tions for 
the  di- 
vision 


II 


FINAL  LOCATION  OF  THE  HEBREW  TRIBES,  Josh.  IS1-  712-  14"33, 

141"5,  151'12,  2°-63,  161-9,  17,  182"28,  19,  21 


§ 117.  Traditional  Method  of  Assigning  the  Territory  of  Canaan, 
Josh.  131"  \ 182-10,  141-5,  1951tt 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 

Josh.  13  xNow  Joshua  had  become  old  and  far 
advanced  in  years;3,  and  Jehovah  said  to  him, 
Thou  art  old  and  far  advanced  in  years,  and  the 
territory  which  remains  to  be  subdued  is  very  great. 
7Now  therefore  divide  this  land  for  an  inheritance 
to  the  nine  tribes,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh. 

18  2And  since  there  remained  among  the  Israel- 
ites seven  tribes  which  had  not  yet  divided  their 
inheritance,  3Joshua  said  to  the  Israelites,  How 
long  will  you  be  remiss  in  taking  possession  of  the  land 
which  Jehovah  the  God  of  your  fathers  hath  given  you  ? 
4Appoint  three  men  from  each  tribe  and  I will 
send  them,  and  they  shall  arise  and  walk  through 
the  land,  and  mark  it  out  for  their  inheritance; 
then  they  shall  come  to  me.  5 And  they  shall 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

14  1These  are  the  in- 
heritances which  the  Is- 
raelites took  in  the  land 
of  Canaan,  which  Ele- 
azar  the  priest,  and 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun 
and  the  heads  of  the 
households  of  the  tribes 
of  the  Israelites,  distrib- 
uted to  them  in  Shiloh 
before  Jehovah,  at  the 
door  of  the  tent  of  meet- 
ing,*3 2by  the  lot  of  their 
inheritance,  as  Jehovah 


Final  Location  of  the  Hebrew  Tribes. — It  is  a significant  and  pathetic  fact  that  the 
traditions  which  define  most  minutely  the  boundaries  of  the  different  tribes  come  from  the 
period  when  the  Israelites  had  for  a long  time  tasted  the  bitterness  of  exile  from  their  beloved 
land.  While  they  were  in  firm  possession  of  Canaan,  they  cared  little  al  ^t  written  records  of 
tribal  boundaries;  bvt  when  that  possession  was  only  a fond  memory,  or  when  they  again  re- 
turned to  reclaim  their  ancestral  lands,  their  interest  was  deeply  aroused.  These,  as  well  as 
minute  genealogical  tables,  were  necessary  to  establish  titles.  Old  records  and  the  popular 
memory  were  undoubtedly  ransacked.  In  keeping  with  the  spirit  and  habits  of  the  later  age, 
all  were  projected  backward  into  the  days  of  Moses  and  Joshua,  beyond  which  no  earlier  claims 
could  be  urged.  The  fact  that  even  the  later  records  incorporated  older  traditions  also  ex- 
plains the  practice.  These  traditions  are  of  value  to  the  historian,  but  pre-eminently  to  the 
student  of  Palestinian  geography,  who  finds  in  them  a great  mine  of  information.  Cf.  map 
opposite  p.  253. 

§ 117  Since  the  early  Judean  narratives  plainly  state  that  the  more  important  cities  of 
Canaan  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  original  inhabitants,  it  appears  that  they  had  no  tra- 
dition regarding  the  assignment  of  territory  except  that  the  tribes  determined  in  advance  by 
lot  the  order  in  which  they  were  to  invade  Canaan  and  the  region  which  each  was  to  seek  to 
conquer,  Judg.  I1-3.  The  later  Judean  tradition,  however,  conceives  of  the  entire  land  as 
having  been  subdued  by  the  Israelites  under  Joshua  (Josh.  10.  11).  This  is  assumed  in  182-10, 
where  a small  group  of  men  are  represented  as  walking  unmolested  throughout  the  land,  as  a 
preliminary  to  the  formal  assignment  of  the  territory  to  the  seven  tribes.  The  passage  is  un- 
related to  its  immediate  context  and  seems  to  be  the  natural  continuation  of  131- 7,  which  like- 
wise have  no  real  connection  with  the  still  later  prophetic  additions  with  which  they  are  asso- 
ciated. Literary  characteristics  also  confirm  the  conclusion  that  131- 7 and  182’10  were  originally 
united,  and  contained  the  later  Judean  prophetic  tradition  of  the  assignment  of  the  land,  which 
in  turn  has  been  expanded  by  a late  prophetic  editor.  In  137  seven  has  apparently  been  changed 
to  nine  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  added  in  order  to  harmonize  it  with  the  still  later  version 
of  the  tradition  which  is  found  in  Josh.  14u5  (cf.  1951a).  This  introduction  to  the  detailed 
description  of  the  boundaries  of  the  territory  of  the  different  tribes  was  evidently  taken  from 
the  late  priestly  narratives.  Eleazar  the  priest  is  given  the  precedence  over  Joshua;  and  the 
style  and  representation  plainly  reveal  the  late  priestly  point  of  view  It  assumes  that  the 
people  were  all  assembled  at  Shiloh  and  that  the  land  had  all  been  subdued,  as  is  stated  in  18l 
(which  apparently  originally  stood  before  141-). 

a 13l  Cf.  parallels:  Josh.  231.  The  expression  old  and  advanced  in  years  is  characteristic 
of  the  Judean  narratives.  Cf.  Gen.  2811,  241. 

b 141  Combining  the  duplicate  statement  found  in  1951b. 

281 


Place 

and 

principle 
of  divis- 
ion 


Survey 
and  al- 
lotment 
of  the 
land 


Extent 
of  the 
territory 
assigned 
to  the 
east- 
J ordan 
tribes 


Josh.  185]  FINAL  LOCATION  OF  THE  TRIBES  [Josh.  142 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 

divide  it  into  seven  divisions  for  themselves. 
Judah  shall  remain  in  his  territory  on  the  south, 
and  the  house  of  Joseph  shall  remain  in  their  ter- 
ritory on  the  north.  6 And  you  shall  mark  out  the 
land  into  seven  divisions,  and  bring  the  plan  here 
to  me.  Then  I will  cast  lots  for  you  here  before 
Jehovah  our  God.  7For  the  Levites  have  no  portion 
among  you ; inasmuch  as  the  priesthood  of  Jehovah  is  their 
inheritance  ; and  Gad  and  Reuben  and  the  half-tribe  of  Ma- 
nasseh  have  received  their  inheritance  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Jordan,  which  Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah  gave  them. 

8So  the  men  arose  and  departed.  And  Joshua 
commanded  those  who  went  to  mark  out  the  land, 
saying,  Go  and  walk  through  the  land,  and  mark 
it  out  and  come  again  to  me;  and  I will  cast  lots 
for  you  here  before  Jehovah  in  Shiloh.  9And  the 
men  went  and  passed  through  the  land  and 
marked  it  out  in  a book  by  cities  into  seven  divis- 
ions; then  they  came  to  Joshua  to  the  camp  at 
Shiloh.  10And  Joshua  cast  lots  for  them  in  Shiloh 
before  Jehovah.  Thus  Joshua  there  divided  the 
land  among  the  Israelites  according  to  their  di- 
visions. 


Late  Priestly  Narra- 
tives 

commanded  by  Moses, 
for  the  nine  tribes  and 
for  the  half -tribe.  3For 
Moses  had  given  the  in- 
heritance of  the  two 
tribes  and  the  half- 
tribe beyond  the  Jor- 
dan; but  to  the  Levites 
he  gave  no  inheritance 
among  them.  4For  the 
children  of  Joseph  were 
two  tribes,  Manasseh 
and  Ephraim ; and  they 
gave  no  part  to  the  Le- 
vites in  the  land  except 
cities  to  dwell  in,  with 
their  suburbs  for  their 
cattle  and  for  their 
property.  5As  Jehovah 
commanded  Moses, 
thus  the  Israelites  did, 
and  divided  the  land. 


§118.  Location  of  the  East-Jordan  Tribes,  Josh.  138-n,  is-32>  231-8 


Late  Prophetic 

Josh.  13  8With  [the  half-tribe  of 
Manasseh]c  the  Reubenites  and  the 
Gadites  received  their  inheritance, 
which  Moses  gave  to  them  on  the 
east  of  the  Jordan,  even  as  Moses 
the  servant  of  Jehovah  gave  them; 
9from  Aroer,  which  is  on  the  slope 
of  the  valley  of  the  Arnon,  and  the 
city  which  is  in  the  middle  of  the 
valley  and  all  the  table-land — 
Medeba  to  Dibon;  10and  all  the  cit- 
ies of  Sihon  king  of  the  Amorites, 
who  reigned  in  Heshbon,  to  the 
border  of  the  Ammonites;  uwith 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

13  15And  Moses  gave  to  the  tribe  of  Territo- 
the  Reubenites  according  to  their  cftS' of 
families.  16And  their  territory  was  beuitesU 
from  Aroer,  which  is  on  the  edge  of  the 
valley  of  the  Arnon,  and  the  city  which 
is  in  the  middle  of  the  valley,  and 
all  the  table-land  by  Medeba;  17Hesh- 
bon  and  all  its  cities  that  are  on  the 
table-land;  Dibon,  and  Bamoth-baal, 
and  Beth-baal-meon,  18and  Jahaz,  and 
Ivedemoth,  and  Mephaath,  19and  Kiria- 
thaim,  and  Sibmah,  and  Zerethsha- 
har  on  the  mountain  of  the  valley, 

20and  Beth-peor,  and  the  slopes  of 


§ 118  The  sequel  of  13s-12  is  found  in  221-8.  They  are  evidently  from  the  same  late  pro- 
phetic writer  who  in  Josh,  I12-18  and  Dt.  312-20  shows  a similar  interest  in  the  east-Jordan  tribes. 
13i5-32_  w;th  its  recurring  formulas,  15>  23.  24.  28'  29 • 32.  and  peculiar  expressions  is  the  late  priestly 
version  of  the  same  tradition.  It  corresponds  to  the  priestly  account  of  the  allotment  of  the 
east-Jordan  territory  found  in  Num.  32.  Cf.  § 102. 

0 13s  Heb.,  him.  As  it  stands  the  antecedent  is  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh,  but  in  8 the  east- 
rather  than  the  west- Jordan  branch  of  this  tribe  is  evidently  intended. 

282 


THE  EAST-JORDAN  TRIBES 


[Josh.  1320 


J oshua’s 

parting 

address 

to  the 

east- 

Jordan 

tribes 


To  the 
half- 
tribe of 
Manas- 
seh 


Josh.  1311] 

Late  Prophetic 

Gilead  and  the  territory  of  the 
Geshurites  and  Maachathites,  and 
all  Mount  Hermon,  and  all  Bashan 
to  Salecah;  12all  the  kingdom  of  Og 
in  Bashan,  who  reigned  in  Ashta- 
roth  and  in  Edrei  (he  was  the  last 
survivor  of  the  Rephaim) ; for  these 
Moses  smote  and  drove  out. 

22  JThen  Joshua  called  the  Reu- 
benites,  and  the  Gadites  and  the 
half-tribe  of  Manasseh,  2and  said 
to  them,  You  have  kept  all  that 
Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah  com- 
manded you,  and  have  hearkened 
to  my  voice  in  all  that  I have  com- 
manded you ; 3you  have  not  forsak- 
en your  kinsmen  during  this  long 
period,  but  have  to  the  present 
faithfully  kept  the  command  of  Je- 
hovah your  God.  4Now,  however, 
Jehovah  your  God  hath  given  rest 
to  your  kinsmen,  as  he  promised 
them;  therefore  now  return  and  go 
to  your  homes,8  to  the  land  where 
your  inheritance  lies,  which  Moses 
the  servant  of  Jehovah  gave  you  be- 
yond the  Jordan.  5Only  observe 
faithfully  the  commandment  and 
the  law  which  Moses  the  servant  of 
Jehovah  commanded  you,  to  love 
Jehovah  your  God,  and  to  walk  in 
all  his  ways,  and  to  keep  his  com- 
mandments, and  to  be  loyal  to  him, 
and  to  serve  him  with  all  your  heart 
and  with  all  your  soul.  6So  Joshua 
blessed  them,  and  sent  them  away; 
and  they  went  to  their  tents. 

7Now  to  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh, 
Moses  had  given  an  inheritance  in  Ba- 
shan ; but  to  the  other  half  Joshua  gave 
an  inheritance  among  their  kinsmen  on 
the  west  of  the  Jordan.  When  Joshua 
sent  them  away  to  their  tents,  he  blessed 
them  also  8and  said  to  them,  Return  with 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Pisgah,  and  Beth-jeshimoth,  21and  all 
the  cities  of  the  table-land,  and  all 
the  kingdom  of  Sihon  king  of  the  Amor- 
ites,  who  reigned  in  Heshbon,  whom 
Moses  smote  with  the  chiefs  of  Midian,  Evi, 
and  Rekem,  and  Zur,  and  Hur,  and  Reba,  the 
princes  of  Sihon,  who  dwelt  in  the  land. 

Balaam  also,  the  son  of  Beor,  the  soothsayer, 
the  Israelites  put  to  the  sword  among  the  rest 
of  their  slain. 17  23And  the  boundary  of 
the  Reubenites  was  the  bank  of  the 
Jordan®  This  was  the  inheritance  of 
the  Reubenites  according  to  their  fam- 
ilies, the  cities  with  their  villages. 

24 And  Moses  gave  an  inheritance  to  Of  the 
the  Gadites  according  to  their  families. 
25And  their  territory  included  Jazer, 
and  all  the  cities  of  Gilead,  with  half 
the  land  of  the  Ammonites,  even  to 
Aroer,  which  is  before  Rabbah;  26and 
from  Heshbon  to  Ramath-mizpeh,  and 
Betonim;  and  from  Mahanaim  to  the 
frontier  of  Debir;f  27and  in  the  valley, 
Beth-haram,  and  Beth-nimrah,  and 
Succoth,  and  Zaphon,  and  the  rest  of 
the  kingdom  of  Sihon  king  of  Heshbon, 
with  the  Jordan  as  boundary  to  the 
lower  end  of  the  sea  of  Chinnereth 
on  the  east  side  of  Jordan.  28This  is 
the  inheritance  of  the  Gadites  accord- 
ing to  their  families,  the  cities  with 
their  villages. 

29 And  Moses  gave  an  inheritance  to  ofthe 
the  half -tribe  of  Manasseh;  and  it  was  tribe  of 
for  the  half -tribe  of  the  Manassites  sehnaa 
according  to  their  families.  30And  their 
territory  was  from  Mahanaim,  all  Ba- 
shan, all  the  kingdom  of  Og  king  of  Ba- 
shan, and  all  the  towns  of  Jair,  which 
are  in  Bashan,  sixty  cities.  31  And  half  of 
Gilead  with  Ashtaroth  and  Edrei,  the 
cities  of  the  kingdom  of  Og  in  Bashan, 
were  for  the  Machirites  the  son  of  Ma- 


d 1321b -22  The  work  of  a late  priestly  editor,  who  combines  the  very  late  story  of  the  war 
against  Midian  in  Num.  31  with  the  earlier  accounts  of  the  war  against  Sihon  in  Num.  2121* *31. 
e 1323  Heb.,  Jordan  and  border.  Cf.  Num.  346. 

f 1326  Gk.,  Dibon,  one  of  the  towns  mentioned  on  the  Moabite  stone.  Heb.  text  is  doubtful. 

* 224  Heb.,  tents , a reminder  of  the  nomadic  period  of  Israelitish  history. 

283 


Assign- 
ment of 
Hebron 
to  the 
Calebites 


Josh.  22s]  FINAL  LOCATION  OF  THE  TRIBES  [Josh.  1331 


Late  Prophetic 

much  wealth  to  your  homes,  and  with 
very  many  cattle,  with  silver  and  gold, 
and  brass  and  iron,  and  with  very  much 
clothing ; divide  the  spoil  taken  from 
your  enemies  with  your  kinsmen. 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

nasseh,  even  for  the  half  of  the  Machir- 
ites  according  to  their  families. 

32These  are  the  inheritances  which 
Moses  distributed  in  the  plains  of  Moab 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Jordan  at  Jericho. 


§ 119.  Location  of  the  Southern  Tribes,  Josh.  146-15,  151-13. 20-62,  191-* 


Later  Ju- 
dean 

Josh. 15 

13To  Caleb 
the  son  of 
Jephunneh, 
Joshua 
gave  a por- 
tion among 
the  Judah- 
ites  accord- 
ing to  the 
comma  n d- 
ment  of  Je- 
hovah t o 
Joshua, 
even  the 
city  of  Arba 
(the  tribal 
ancestor  of 
Anak),  that 
is  Hebron. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

14  6Then  the  Judahites  drew  near  to  Joshua  in  Gilgal,  and 
Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenizzite  said  to  him,  You 
know  what  Jehovah  said  to  Moses  the  man  of  God  concerning 
me  and  you  in  Kadesh-barnea.  7I  was  forty  years  old  when 
Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah  sent  me  from  Kadesh-barnea  to 
spy  out  the  land ; and  I brought  him  the  report  which  seemed 
to  me  to  be  true.h  8But  my  kinsmen  who  went  up  with  me 
completely  discouraged  the  people,  while  I fully  followed  Jeho- 
vah my  God.  9And  Moses  on  that  day  gave  this  oath,  ‘ Surely 
the  land  whereon  your  foot  has  trodden  shall  be  an  inheritance 
for  you  and  your  children  forever,  because  you  have  fully 
followed  Jehovah  my  God.’  10And,  now,  behold,  Jehovah  hath 
kept  me  alive,  as  he  said,  these  forty-five  years  from  the  time 
that  Jehovah  spoke  this  word  to  Moses,  while  Israel  was  going 
about  in  the  wilderness;  and  so  now  I am  to-day  eighty -five 
years  old.  11  To -day  I am  still  as  strong  as  I was  in  the  day 
that  Moses  sent  me ; as  my  strength  was  then,  even  so  is  my 
strength  now,  for  war  and  for  all  the  duties  of  daily  fife.  12Now 
therefore  give  me  this  hill-country,  of  which  Jehovah  spoke  on 
that  day ; for  you  heard  at  that  time  how  the  Anakim  were  there 
with  great  fortified  cities.  It  may  be  that  Jehovah  will  be  with 
me,  and  I shall  drive  them  out  as  Jehovah  promised.  13Then 
Joshua  blessed  him,  and  gave  Hebron  to  Caleb  the  son  of 
Jephunneh  for  an  inheritance.  14Therefore  Hebron  became 
the  inheritance  of  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  the  Kenizzite, 
as  it  is  to  this  day;  because  he  fully  followed  Jehovah  the  God 
of  Israel.  15Now  the  older  name  of  Hebron  was  the  city  of 
Arba:  he  was  the  greatest  man  among  the  Anakim.  And 
the  land  had  rest  from  war. 


§ 119  The  allotment  of  Hebron  to  the  Calebites  is  recorded  in  three  distinct  prophetic 
traditions.  The  simplest  version  is  the  early  Judean  in  Judg.  I20"-:  Hebron  was  given  to  Caleb 
as  Moses  had  bidden.  The  slightly  expanded  later  Judean  version,  which  makes  the  assign- 
ment the  work  of  Joshua,  is  found  in  Josh.  1513.  A much  expanded  version  is  that  of  Josh.  14''-1S, 
which  probably  embodies  an  early  Kphraiinite  prophetic  tradition.  In  its  present  form,  how- 
ever, it  is  clearly  from  a late  prophetic  writer,  even  though  this  strand  has  already  recounted 
the  capture  of  Hebron,  Josh.  1036,  and  the  expulsion  of  the  Anakim  by  Joshua,  ll21.  The 
minute  description  of  the  boundaries  and  towns  of  the  Judahites  and  Simeonites  in  Josh.  15, 191-9 
is  the  work  of  the  late  priestly  writers,  although  traces  of  the  older  Judean  prophetic  narratives 
are  found  in  191-  9.  The  analogies  with  Num.  24,  §103,  are  close.  Cf.  map  opp.  p.  253. 
h Josh.  147  Heb.,  as  it  was  in  my  heart. 


284 


THE  SOUTHERN  TRIBES 


[Josh.  151 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Josh.  15  1The  inheritance  determined  by  lot’  for  the  tribe  of  the  Judahites 
according  to  their  families  extended  to  the  frontier  of  Edom,  southward  toward 
the  wilderness  of  Zin,  in  the  extreme  south.  2And  their  boundary  on  the 
south  was  the  southern  end  of  the  Salt  Sea,  from  the  bay  that  extends  to  the 
south;  3and  it  went  south  of  the  Scorpion  Pass  and  passed  along  to  Zin,  and 
went  up  south  of  Kadesh-barnea  and  passed  along  by  Hezron  and  went  up 
to  Addar,  and  turned  about  to  Karka,  4then  it  passed  along  to  Azmon,  and 
went  out  at  the  brook  of  Egypt  until  the  boundary  ended  at  the  sea;  this  shall 
be  your  boundary  on  the  south.  5And  the  eastern  boundary  was  the  Salt 
Sea,  even  to  the  mouth  of  the  Jordan.  And  the  northern  boundary  was  from 
the  bay  of  the  sea  at  the  mouth  of  the  Jordan;  6and  the  boundary-line  went 
up  to  Beth-hoglah,  and  passed  along  by  the  north  of  Beth-arabah;  then  the 
boundary -line  went  up  to  the  stone  of  Bohan  the  son  of  Reuben;  7thence  to 
Debir  from  the  valley  of  Achor,  and  so  on  northward,  in  the  direction  of 
Gilgal,  which  is  opposite  the  pass  of  Adummim,  which  is  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river;  and  the  border  passed  along  to  the  waters  of  En-shemesh,  and 
extended  to  En-rogel.  8Then  the  boundary-line  went  up  by  the  valley  of 
Ben-Hinnom  to  the  Jebusite  side  southward  (that  is,  Jerusalem);  and  the 
boundary-line  went  westward  up  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  which  lies  before 
the  valley  of  Hinnom,  which  is  at  the  northern  end  of  the  valley  of  Rephaim; 
9and  the  boundary  extended  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  to  the  fountain  of 
the  waters  of  Nephtoah,  and  continued  to  the  cities  of  Mount  Ephron. 
The  border  also  extended  to  Baalah  (that  is,  Kiriath-jearim).  10Then  the 
border  turned  about  from  Baalah  westward  to  Mount  Seir,  and  passed  along 
to  the  side  of  Mount  Jearim  on  the  north  (that  is,  Chesalon),  and  went  down 
to  Beth-shemesh,  and  passed  along  by  Tirnnah;  11then  the  boundary  went 
to  the  side  of  Ekron  northward;  and  the  border  extended  to  Shikkeron,  and 
passed  along  to  Mount  Baalah,  and  went  out  at  Jabneel;  and  so  the  border 
ended  at  the  sea.  12And  the  west  boundary  was  the  shore  of  the  Great  Sea. 
This  was  the  entire  boundary  of  the  Judahites  according  to  their  families. 

20This  is  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  Judahites  according  to  their 
families. 

21And  the  cities  in  the  extreme  south  of  the  territory  belonging  to  the  tribe 
of  the  Judahites  towards  the  frontier  of  Edom  were  Kabzeel,  Eder,  Jagur, 
22Kinah,  Dimonah,  Adadah,  23Kedesh,  Hazor,  Ithnan,  24Ziph,  Telem, 
Bealoth,  25Hazor-haddatah,  Kerioth-hezron  (that  is  Hazor),  26Amam, 
Shema,  Moladah,  27Hazar-gaddah,  Heshmon,  Beth-pelet,  28Hazar-shual, 
Beersheba,  Biziothiah,  29Baalah,  lim,  Ezem,  30Eltolad,  Chesil,  Hormah, 
31Ziklag,  Madmannah,  Sansannah,  32Lebaoth,  Shilhim,  Ain,  and  Rimmon : 
in  all  twenty-nine  cities  with  their  villages. 

33In  the  lowland,  Eshtaol,  Zorah,  Ashnah,  34Zanoah,  En-gannim,  Tappuah, 
Enam,  35Jarmuth,  Adullam,  Socoh,  Azekah,  36Shaaraim,  Adithaim,  Gederah, 
Gederothaim:  fourteen  cities  with  their  villages.  37Zenan,  Hadashah, 
Migdal-gad,  38  Dilan,  Mizpeh,  Joktheel,  39Lachish,  Bozkath,  Eglon, 


Bounda- 
ries of 
Judah 


On  the 
south 


On  the 
east 
On  the 
north 


On  the 
west 


Cities 
and  vil- 
lages of 
the  Ju- 
dahites : 
in  the 
south 


In  the 
lowland 


1 Josh.  151  Heb.,  simply  lot,  but  here  and  elsewhere  used  in  the  sense  given  above. 

285 


In  the 

hill- 

country 


In  the 
wilder- 
ness 

Cities 
and  vil- 
lages of 
the  Sim- 
eonites 


Extent 
of  the 
territory 
assigned 
to  Jo- 
seph 


Josh.  1540]  FINAL  LOCATION  OF  THE  TRIBES 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

40Cabbon,  Lahmarn,  Chitlish,  41Gederoth,  Beth-dagon,  Namaah,  and 
Makkedah;  sixteen  cities  with  their  villages.  42Libnah,  Ether,  Ashan, 
43Iphtah,  Ashnah,  Nezib,  44Keilah,  Achzib,  and  Mareshah;  nine  cities  with 
their  villages.  45Ekron,  with  its  dependencies  and  villages;  46from  Ekron 
even  to  the  sea,  all  that  were  by  the  side  of  Ashdod,  with  their  villages. 
47Ashdod,  its  dependencies  and  villages;  Gaza,  its  dependencies  and  villages, 
to  the  brook  of  Egypt;  and  the  Great  Sea  formed  the  boundary -hne  on  the 
west. 

48And  in  the  hill-country;  Shamir,  Jattir,  Socoh,  49Dannah,  Kiriath-sannah, 
(that  is  Debir),  50Anab,  Eshtemoh,  Anim,  51Goshen,  Holon,  and  Giloh;  eleven 
cities  with  their  villages.  52Arab,  Dumah,  Eshan,  53Janim,  Beth-tappuah, 
Aphekah,  54Humtah,  Kiriath-arba  (that  is  Hebron),  and  Zior;  nine  cities  with 
their  villages.  55Maon,  Carmel,  Ziph,  Jutah,  56Jezreel,  Jokdeam,  Zanoah, 
57Kain,  Gibeah,  and  Timnah;  ten  cities  with  their  villages.  58Halhul, 
Beth-zur,  Gedor,  59Maarath,  Beth-anoth,  and  Eltekon;  six  cities  with  their 
villages.  Tekoa,  Ephratha  (that  is  Bethlehem),  Peor,  Etam,  Kulon,  Tatem, 
Sores,  Karem,  GalemJ  Bether,  and  Manocho;  eleven  cities  with  their  villages.^ 
60Kiriath-baal  (that  is  Kiriath-jearim),  and  Rabbah;  two  cities  with  their 
villages. 

61In  the  wilderness;  Beth-arabah,  Middin,  Secacah,  62Nibshan,  and  the 
City  of  Salt,  and  En-gedi ; six  cities  with  their  villages. 

19  4And  the  second  lot  was  drawn  for  Simeon,  even  for  the  tribe  of  the 
Simeonites  according  to  their  families.  And  their  inheritance  was  in  the 
midst  of  the  inheritance  of  the  Judahites.  2And  they  had  for  their  inheritance 
Beersheba,  Sheba,  Moladah,  3Hazar-shual,  Balah,  Ezem,  4Eltolad,  Bethul, 
Hormah,  5Ziklag,  Beth-marcaboth,  Hazar-susah,  6Beth-lebaoth,  and  Sharu- 
hen;  thirteen  cities  with  their  villages.  7Ain,  Rimmon,  Ether,  and  Ashan; 
four  cities  with  their  villages.  8And  all  the  villages  that  were  round  about 
these  cities  as  far  as  Baalath-beer,  Ramah  of  the  South  Country.  This  was 
the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  Simeonites  according  to  their  families. 
9From  the  territory  of  the  Judahites  the  inheritance  of  the  Simeonites  was 
taken;  for  the  portion  of  the  Judahites  was  too  much  for  them;  therefore  the 
Simeonites  had  an  inheritance  in  the  midst  of  their  inheritance. 


§ 120.  Location  of  the  Joseph  Tribes,  Josh.  161-9,  17,  19Wb-50,  24M 


Later  Judean  Prophetic 

Josh.  16  4Now  the  inheritance 
determined  by  lot  for  the  children 
of  Joseph  was  from  the  Jordan  at 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

16  4Now  the  children  of  Joseph,  intro 
Manasseh  and  Ephraim,  took  their duction 
inheritance. 


i 1559b  jn  certain  Gk.  texts,  G'lllim. 

k 1559b  go  Gk.,  Luc.  and  Syr.  This  section,  which  includes  some  of  the  most  important 
Judean  towns,  has  by  accident  fallen  out  of  the  Heb.  text. 

§ 120  Josh.  16  and  17  have  been  repeatedly  edited.  They  evidently  contain  considerable 
early  Judean  prophetic  material,  lo1*3-  10,  1711-13,  which  is  parallel  to  that  in  Judg.  1 and  which 
has  been  supplemented  by  a later  Judean  editor,  who  attributes  the  assignment  of  the  territory 
to  Joshua,  1714-  17.  I7lb-3  contains  a later  version  of  the  historical  facts  recorded  in  Num.  S239-42. 
1711*13  is  also  a slightly  expanded  version  of  the  narrative  of  Judg.  I27-  28.  The  fragmentary 

286 


THE  JOSEPH  TRIBES 


[Josh.  165 


Josh.  161] 

Later  Judean  Prophetic 
Jericho,  at  the  waters  of  Jericho 
on  the  east,  even  the  wilderness  ex- 
tending from  Jericho  up  through 
the  hill-country  to  Bethel;  2and  it 
went  out  from  Bethel  to  Luz,  and 
passed  along  to  the  frontier  of  the 
Arehites  to  Ataroth;  3and  it  went 
down  westward  to  the  border  of 
the  Japhletites,  to  the  border  of 
Beth-horon  the  lower,  even  to  Ge- 
zer,  and  ended  at  the  sea. 

Territo-  1 7 1 And  the  lot  was  drawn  for  the  tribe 

crties'of  Manasseh ; for  he  was  the  first-born 

theMa-  0f  Joseph.  Machir,  the  first-born  of 

n&ssites 

Manasseh,  the  father  of  Gilead,  had 
Gilead  and  Bashan,  for  he  was  a 
man  of  war.  2And  for  the  rest  of  the 
Manassites  the  assignment  was  ac- 
cording to  their  families,  forthechil- 
dren  of  Abiezer,  Helek,  Asriel,  She- 
chem,  Hepher,  and  Shemida  (these 
were  the  male  children  of  Manas- 
seh the  son  of  Joseph)  according  to 
their  families.  8The  land  of  Tap- 
puah belonged  to  Manasseh;  but 
Tappuah  on  the  border  of  Manas- 
seh belonged  to  the  Ephraimites. 
nAnd  to  Manasseh  belonged 
the  territories  of  Issachar  and 
Asher,  Bethshean  and  its  villages 
and  Ibleam  and  its  villages,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  Dor  and  its 
villages,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
En-dor  and  its  villages,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  Taanach  and  its 
villages,  and  the  inhabitants  of 
Megiddo  and  its  villages — the  three 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

5And  the  territory  of  the  Ephraim- 
ites was  according  to  their  families. 
The  boundary  of  their  inheritance  on 
the  east  was  Ataroth-addar,  and  it  ex- 
tended from  there  to  upper  Beth-horon. 
6And  the  border  went  out  westward  at 
Michmetbath  on  the  north.  Then  the 
border  turned  about  eastward  to  Taa- 
nath-shiloh,  and  passed  along  it  on  the 
east  of  Janoah.  7Then  it  went  down 
from  Janoah  to  Ataroth,  and  to  Naarah, 
and  extending  to  Jericho,  ended  at  the 
Jordan.  8From  Tappuah  the  border 
went  along  westward  to  the  brook  of 
Kan  all ; and  ended  at  the  sea.  This 
was  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the 
Ephraimites  according  to  their  families, 
together  with  the  cities  which  were  set  apart 
for  the  Ephraimites  in  the  midst  of  the  inher- 
itance of  the  Manassites,  all  the  cities  with 
their  villages. 

17  3But  Zelophehad,  the  son  of  He- 
pher, the  son  of  Gilead,  the  son  of  Ma- 
chir, the  son  of  Manasseh,  had  no  sons, 
only  daughters ; and  these  are  the  names 
of  his  daughters:  Mahlah,  Noah,  Ilog- 
lah,  Milcah  and  Tirzah.  4And  they 
presented  themselves  before  Eleazar  the 
priest,  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and 
before  the  princes,  saying,  Jehovah 
commanded  Moses  to  give  us  an  inheri- 
tance among  our  kinsmen.  Therefore 
according  to  the  commandment  of  Jeho- 
vah he  gave  them  an  inheritance  among 
their  father’s  kinsmen.  sAnd  there  fell 
ten  parts  to  Manasseh,  besides  the  land 
of  Gilead  and  Bashan,  which  is  beyond 
the  Jordan;  6because  the  daughters  of 


character  of  the  Judean  prophetic  narratives,  as  well  as  the  representation,  also  recalls  Judg.  1. 
Like  that  chapter,  they  are  of  great  value  to  the  historian.  164'8  with  the  new  title  is  the  late 
priestly  parallel  to  I61-3.  Vs.  9 has  no  real  connection,  either  external  or  internal,  with  its 
context  and  has  been  assigned  by  some  scholars  to  an  earlier  source.  Its  language,  however, 
strongly  suggests  that  it  is  a late  addition.  173*6  contains  a variation  of  the  priestly  tradition 
of  Num.  271-n.  Cf.  Mum.  2630-32. 

Traces  of  the  Ephraimite  version  of  the  assignment  of  the  territory  to  the  tribes  are  found 
in  Josh.  1949b-  and  2432,  which  supplement  the  preceding  narratives.  The  Ephraimite  pro- 
phetic passage  in  Josh.  2430  contains  a reference  to  the  fact  recorded  in  1949b>  50.  24s2  cannot  be 

in  its  original  setting,  for  the  burial  of  Joseph  would  hardly  have  been  deferred  for  years  until 
after  the  death  of  Joshua.  The  account  of  Joshua’s  burial  probably  suggested  its  introduction 
at  the  point  where  it  is  found.  The  concluding  words  seem  to  indicate  that,  like  the  cave  of 
Machpelah,  the  tomb  of  Joseph  was  regarded  as  an  evidence  of  title  to  the  territory  held  by  the 
tribe  of  Joseph. 


Terri- 
tory of 
theEnh- 
raimites 


Of  the 
Manas- 
sifces  east 
of  the 
Jordan 


287 


Special 
permis- 
sion giv- 
en to  the 
Joseph 
tribes  to 
extend 
their  ter- 
ritory 


Special 
grant  to 
Joshua 


Title  of 
the  Jo- 
seph 
tribe  to 
She- 
chexn 


Josh.  16u]  FINAL  LOCATION  OF  THE  TRIBES  [Josh.  176 

Later  Judean  Prophetic 

heights.  12Yet  the  Manassites 
could  not  drive  out  the  inhabitants 
of  those  cities;  but  the  Canaanites 
maintained  their  hold  in  that  re- 
gion. 13But  when  the  Israelites 
had  grown  strong,  they  subjected 
the  Canaanites  to  task-work,  al- 
though they  did  not  completely 
drive  them  out. 


14Then  the  children  of  Joseph  said  to  Joshua,  Why  have  you  given  me  but 
one  lot  and  one  part  for  an  inheritance,  although  I am  a numerous  people, 
since  Jehovah  hath  blessed  me  up  to  this  time?  15And  Joshua  said  to  them, 
If  you  are  a numerous  people,  go  up  to  the  forest  and  clear  land  for  yourself, 
there  in  the  land  of  the  Perizzites  and  the  Rephaim;  since  the  hill-country  of 
Ephraim  is  too  contracted  for  you.  16And  the  children  of  Joseph  said, 
The  hill-country  is  not  enough  for  us;  and  all  the  Canaanites  who  dwell  in  the 
valley  lands  have  chariots  of  iron,  both  they  who  are  in  Bethshean  and  its 
villages,  and  they  who  are  in  the  valley  of  Jezreel.  17And  Joshua  said  to  the 
house  of  Joseph,  to  Ephraim  and  Manasseh,  You  are  a numerous  people,  and 
have  great  power;  you  ought  not  to  have  only  one  lot,  18therefore  the  hill- 
country  shall  be  yours;  for  though  it  is  a forest,  you  shall  clear  it;  and  to  its 
farthest  bounds  it  shall  belong  to  you,1  for  you  shall  drive  out  the  Canaanites, 
though  they  have  chariots  of  iron  and  are  strong. 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

19  49bThe  Israelites  also  gave  an  inheritance  in  their  midst  to  Joshua  the 
son  of  Nun;  50aecording  to  the  commandment  of  Jehovah  they  gave  him  the 
city  which  he  asked,  Timnath-serah  in  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim;  and  he 
built  the  city  and  dwelt  in  it. 

24  32 And  the  bones  of  Joseph  which  the  Israelites  brought  up  out  of  Egypt,™ 
they  buried  in  Shechem  in  the  piece  of  ground  which  Jacob  bought  of  the  son 
of  Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem  for  four  hundred  shekels;  and  they  became 
the  inheritance  of  the  children  of  Joseph. 

' 1718  Heb.  lit.,  its  going  forth  shall  be  yours. 

288 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Manasseh  had  an  inheritance  among 
his  sons.  So  the  land  of  Gilead  belonged 
to  the  rest  of  the  Manassites. 

7And  the  territory  of  Manasseh  ex- 
tended from  Asher  to  Michmethath, 
which  lies  east  of  Shechem;  and  the 
boundary-line  went  along  on  the  right 
to  the  inhabitants  of  En-tappuah. 
9Then  the  boundary-line  went  down  to 
the  brook  of  Kanah,  southward  of  the 
brook ; these  cities  belonged  to  Ephraim 
among  the  cities  of  Manasseh;  and  the 
boundary-line  of  Manasseh  was  on  the 
north  side  of  the  brook,  and  it  ended  at 
the  sea.  10Southward  it  was  Ephraim’s 
and  northward  it  was  Manasseh ’s,  and 
the  sea  was  his  boundary-line;  and  they 
reached  to  Asher  on  the  north,  and  to 
Issachar  on  the  east. 


Of  the 
Manas- 
sites 
west 
of  the 
Jordan 


“ 2432  Cf.  Gen.  33w. 


THE  BENJAMITES 


[Josh.  1811 


§ 121.  Location  of  the  Benjamites,  Josh.  1811-28 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Josh.  18  nNow  when  the  lot  of  the  tribe  of  the  Benjamites  was  drawn  ac- 
cording to  their  families;  the  territory  determined  by  their  lot  lay  between 
the  Judahites  and  the  Josephites.  12And  their  boundary  on  the  north  was 
from  the  Jordan;  and  the  line  went  up  by  the  north  side  of  Jericho,  and 
continued  up  through  the  hill-country  westward;  and  its  extreme  limit 
was  at  the  wilderness  of  Bethaven.  13Then  the  line  ran  along  thence  to  Luz 
passing  below  Luz  (that  is  Bethel),  southward;  and  the  border  went  down  to 
Ataroth-addar,  by  the  mountain  which  lies  on  the  south  of  the  lower  Beth- 
horon.  14Then  the  border  was  prolonged,  and  turned  about  on  the  west 
quarter  southward,  from  the  mountain  which  lies  before  Beth-horon  south- 
ward; its  extreme  limit  was  at  Kiriath-baal  (that  is  Iviriath-jearim),  a city 
of  the  Judahites;  this  was  the  west  quarter.  15And  the  south  quarter  began 
from  the  end  of  Kiriath-jearim;  and  the  border  went  out  westward,  and 
continued  to  the  fountain  of  the  waters  of  Nephtoah.  16Thence  the  boundary 
went  down  to  the  end  of  the  mountain  which  lies  before  the  valley  of  Ben- 
Hinnom,  which  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  valley  of  Rephaim.  Then  it  went 
down  to  the  valley  of  Hinnom  on  the  Jebusite  side  southward,  and  continued 
to  En-rogel,  17and  it  extended  northward,  and  went  out  at  En-shemesh,  and 
continued  to  Geliloth,  which  is  opposite  the  ascent  of  Adummim.  Then  it 
went  down  to  the  stone  of  Bohan  the  son  of  Reuben,  18and  it  passed  along 
to  the  side  opposite  the  Arabah  northward,  and  went  down  to  the  Arabah. 
19 And  the  border  passed  along  to  the  side  of  Beth-hoglah  northward;  and  the 
border  terminated  at  the  north  bay  of  the  Salt  Sea,  at  the  south  end  of  the 
Jordan;  this  was  the  southern  border.  "And  the  Jordan  was  its  border  on 
the  east  quarter.  This  was  the  inheritance  of  the  Benjamites  according 
to  their  families  in  its  extreme  limits. 

21Now  the  cities  of  the  tribe  of  the  Benjamites  according  to  their  families 
were  Jericho,  Beth-hoglah,  Emek-keziz,  22Beth-arabah,  Zemaraim,  Bethel, 
23Awim,  Parah,  Ophrah,  24Chephar-ammoni,  Ophni,  and  Geba;  twelve 
cities  with  their  villages.  25Gibeon,  Ramah,  Beeroth,  26Mizpeh,  Chepliirah, 
Mozah,  27Rekem,  Irpeel,  Taralah,  28Zelah,  Eleph,  and  the  Jebusite  city 
(that  is  Jerusalem),  Gibeath,  and  Kiriath;  fourteen  cities  with  their  villages. 
This  was  the  inheritance  of  the  Benjamites  according  to  their  families. 

§ 122.  Location  of  the  Northern  Tribes,  Josh.  1910-48 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Josh.  19  10Then  the  third  lot  was  drawn  for  the  Zebulunites  according 
to  their  families,  and  the  border  of  their  inheritance  reached  to  Sarid; 
11  then  their  border  went  up  westward  as  far  as  Maralah,  and  reached  to 
Dabbesheth;  and  it  extended  to  the  brook  that  is  before  Jokneam.  12Then 

§ 121  Although  probably  incorporating  older  Judean  traditions,  these  verses  continue  the 
detailed  priestly  account  of  the  location  of  the  different  tribes. 

§ 122  The  continuation  of  the  late  priestly  account  of  the  location  of  the  tribes.  Vs.  47  in- 
terrupts the  continuity  of  the  narrative  in  i6.  48  and  is  in  reality  a brief  version  of  the  prophetic 
story  in  Judg.  17,  18.  In  the  Gk.  it  is  preceded  by  a statement  similar  to  that  in  Judg.  I34. 

289 


Terri- 
tory  as- 
signed 
to  the 
Ben  jam 
ites 


Their 

cities 

and 

lages 


Territo- 
ry as- 
signed 
to  the 
Zebulun- 
ites 


To  the 

lssa- 

charites 


To  the 
Asher- 
itea 


To  the 
Naph- 
talitea 


To  the 
Danites 


Josh.  1912]  FINAL  LOCATION  OF  THE  TRIBES 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

it  turned  from  Sarid  eastward  toward  the  sunrising  to  the  frontier  of  Chisloth- 
tabor;  and  it  went  out  to  Daberath,  and  continued  to  Japhia;  13and  thence  it 
passed  along  eastward  to  Gath-hepher,  to  Eth-kazin;  and  it  went  outatRim- 
mon  extending  to  Neali.  14And  the  border  turned  about  it  on  the  north  to 
Hannathon;  and  its  extreme  limit  was  at  the  valley  of  Iphtah-el.  15It  also 
included  Kattath,  Nahalal,  Shimron,  Idalah,  and  Bethlehem — -twelve  cities 
with  their  villages.  16This  was  the  inheritance  of  the  Zebulunites  according 
to  their  families,  these  cities  with  their  villages. 

17The  fourth  lot  was  drawn  for  Issaehar,  for  the  Issacharites  according  to 
their  families.  18 And  their  border  extended  over  Jezreel,  Chesulloth,  Shu- 
nem,  19Hapharaim,  Shion,  Anaharath,  20Rabbith,  Kishion,  Ebez,  21Remeth, 
En-gannim,  En-haddah,  and  Beth-pazzez,  22and  the  border  reached  to  Tabor, 
and  Shahazumah,  and  Beth-shemesh ; and  their  border  ended  at  the  Jordan 
— sixteen  cities  with  their  villages.  23This  was  the  inheritance  of  the  Issa- 
charites according  to  their  families,  the  cities  with  their  villages. 

24And  the  fifth  lot  was  drawn  for  the  tribe  of  the  Asherites  according  to 
their  families.  25 And  their  border  was  Helkath,  Hali,  Beten,  Achshaph, 
20Allammelech,  Amad,  and  Mishal;  and  it  reached  to  Carmel  on  the  west, 
and  to  Shihor-libnath.  And  it  turned  toward  the  sunrising  to  Beth-dagon, 
and  reached  to  Zebulun,  and  to  the  valley  of  Iphtah-el  northward  to  Beth- 
emek  and  Neiel.  Then  it  continued  northward  to  Cabul,  28Ebron,  Rehob, 
Hammon,  and  Kanah,  even  to  Sidon  the  great.  29Thence  the  border 
turned  to  Ramah,  and  to  the  fortified  city  of  Tyre;  and  the  border  turned  to 
Hosah;  and  it  ended  at  the  sea  in  the  vicinity  of  Achzib;  30Ummah  also,  and 
Aphek,  and  Rehob — twenty-two  cities  with  their  villages.  31This  was  the 
inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  Asherites  according  to  their  families,  these 
cities  with  their  villages. 

32The  sixth  lot  was  drawn  for  Naphtali,  for  the  Naphtalites  according  to 
their  families.  33 And  their  boundary  extended  from  Heleph,  from  the  oak 
of  Zaanannim  to  Adaminekeb,  Jabneel  and  Lakkum;  and  its  extreme  limit 
was  the  Jordan.  34And  the  border  turned  westward  to  Aznoth-tabor,  and 
went  out  from  thence  to  Hukkok;  and  it  reached  to  Zebulun  on  the  south, 
and  Asher  on  the  west,  and  to  Judah  at  the  Jordan  toward  the  sunrising. 
35And  the  fortified  cities  were  Ziddim,  Zer,  Hammath,  Rakkath,  Chinnereth, 
36Adamah,  Ramah,  Ilazor,  37Kedesh,  Edrei,  En-hazor,  38Iron,  Migdal-el, 
Horem,  Beth-anath,  and  Beth-shemesh;  nineteen  cities  with  their  villages. 
39This  was  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the  Naphtalites  according  to  their 
families,  the  cities  with  their  villages. 

40The  seventh  lot  was  drawn  for  the  tribe  of  the  Danites  according  to  their 
families.  41  And  the  territory  comprised  in  their  inheritance  included  Zorah, 
Eshtaol,  Ir-shemesh.  42Shaalabbin,  Aijalon,  Ithlah,  43Elon,  Timnah,  Ekron, 
44Eltekeh,  Gibbethon,  Baalath,  45Jehud,  Bene-berak,  Gath-rimmon,  46Me- 
jarkon,  and  Rakkon,  with  the  territory  opposite  Joppa.  47But  the  territory 
of  the  Danites  was  lost  to  them;11  therefore  the  Danites  went  up  and  fought 


“ 1947  Heb.,  territory  (or  boundary)  of  the  Danites  went  from  them.  The  idiom  is  unusual. 
Many  emendations  have  been  suggested,  beginning  with  the  Gk.,  which  has  a much  fuller  text. 


290 


THE  NORTHERN  TRIBES 


[Josh.  1947 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

against  Leshem,  and  captured  it,  and,  putting  its  inhabitants  to  the  sword, 
they  took  possession  of  it,  and  dwelt  in  it  and  called  Leshem,  Dan,  after  the 
name  of  Dan  their  father.  48This  was  the  inheritance  of  the  tribe  of  the 
Danites  according  to  their  families,  these  cities  with  their  villages. 


§ 123.  Location  of  the  Levites,  Josh.  1314>  33,  1949a’ 6Ib,  211-41 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

21  4Then  the  heads  of  the  families  of  the  Levites  Thein- 
came  to  Eleazar  the  priest  and  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun  tanceot 
and  to  the  heads  of  the  families  of  the  tribes  of  the  votes'6 7 
Israelites;  2and  they  spoke  to  them  at  Shiloh  in  the 
land  of  Canaan,  saying,  Jehovah  commanded  by  Moses 
to  give  us  cities  to  dwell  in,  with  their  common  pasture 
landsp  for  our  cattle.  3So  the  Israelites  gave  to  the 
Levites  out  of  their  inheritance,  according  to  the  com- 
mandment of  Jehovah,  these  cities  with  their  common 
pasture  lands. 

4And  the  lot  was  drawn  for  the  families  of  the  Kohathites;  and  the  children  summa- 

of  Aaron  the  priest,  who  were  of  the  Levites,  obtained  by  lot  from  the  tribe  3tiesa!£ 
of  Judah,  and  from  the  tribe  of  the  Simeonites,  and  from  the  tribe  of  Ben- 
jamin,  thirteen  cities.  5And  the  rest  of  the  Kohathites  obtained  by  lot  from 
the  families  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  and  from  the  tribe  of  Dan,  and  from  the 
half-tribe  of  Manasseh,  ten  cities. 

6And  the  Gershonites  obtained  by  lot  from  the  families  of  the  tribe  of  To  the 
Issachar,  and  from  the  tribe  of  Asher,  and  from  the  tribe  of  Naphtali,  and  shomtes 
from  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh  in  Bashan,  thirteen  cities. 

7The  Merarites  according  to  their  families  obtained  from  the  tribe  of  To  the 

Reuben,  and  from  the  tribe  of  Gad,  and  from  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  twelve  ite»ar 
cities.  8 9Thus  the  Israelites  gave  by  lot  to  the  Levites  these  cities  with  their 
common  pasture  lands,  as  Jehovah  commanded  by  Moses. 

9And  they  gave  out  of  the  tribe  of  the  Judahites,  and  out  of  the  tribe  of  the  cities  of 
Simeonites,  these  cities  which  are  mentioned  by  name;  10 *and  they  were  for  hathftes 

the  children  of  Aaron,  of  the  families  of  the  Kohathites,  who  were  of  the  ern°ca-h 
naan 

Budde’s  reconstruction  of  the  original  ( Richter  und  Samuel,  p.  28)  is  of  especial  interest:  But 
the  Amorites  forced  the  Danites  into  the  hill-country,  for  they  would  not  allow  them  to  come  down 
to  the  valley,  and  they  made  their  territory  too  narrow  for  them.  So  the  Danites  went  up  and  fought 
against.  Leshem  . . . and  called  Leshem  Dan,  after  the  name  of  Dan  their  father.  But  the 

Amorites  continued  to  dwell  in  Mount  Heres  and  Aijalon  and  Shaalbim;  yet  the  hand  of  the  house 
of  J oseph  prevailed,  so  that  they  became  tributary. 

§ 123  The  late  prophetic  narratives  reflect  the  earlier  usage  and  dismiss  the  Levites  with  a 
single  verse,  1314,  which  in  the  Heb.  is  repeated  with  slight  variations  in  1433  by  a later  editor. 

The  latter  verse  is  n9t  found  in  the  Gk. 

The  priestly  tradition  of  the  allotment  is  found  in  21.  It  is  in  accord  with  the  provisions  in 
Num.  351-8,  which  belongs  to  the  same  strand.  Its  original  regulation  regarding  Hebron  ia 
found  in  13.  Vss.  n-  12  apparently  contain  a still  later  editorial  parallel,  which  aimed  to  reconcile 
this  with  the  tradition  of  its  capture  and  assignment  to  Caleb,  Josh.  1513-  14,  § 114. 

° 1314  As  always  in  Dt.  and  the  late  prophetic  narratives,  the  tribe  of  Levi  is  a general 
description  of  all  who  performed  priestly  services. 

p 212  Lit.,  place  where  cattle  were  driven.  It  is  the  technical  designation  of  the  public  lands 
near  each  village,  where  all  members  of  the  community  had  equal  rights  of  pasturage. 

291 


Late  Prophetic 
Josh.  13  14Only 
to  the  tribe  of  Le- 
vi0 [Joshua]  gave 
no  inheritance; 
the  offerings  made 
by  fire  to  Jehovah 
the  God  of  Israel, 
are  their  inheri- 
tance, as  he  prom- 
ised them. 


The 

priestly 

cities 


Cities  of 
the  Ko- 
hathites 
in  Eph- 
raim 
and  Ma- 
nasseh 


Of  the 
Ger- 
shonites 
in  north- 
ern Ca- 
naan 


To  the 
Merar- 
ites in 
the  ter- 
ritory of 
Zehulun 
and  east 
of  the 
Jordan 


Josh.  21 10]  FINAL  LOCATION  OF  THE  TRIBES 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Levites;  for  the  lot  indicated  them  first.  11  And  they  gave  them  the  city  of  Arba, 
(who  was  the  tribal  ancestor  of  Anak),  that  is  Hebron,  in  the  hill-country  of  Judah,  with  its 
common  pasture  lands  around  about  it.  12But  the  fields  of  the  city  and  its  villages  they 
gave  to  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh  as  his  possession. 

13Thus  to  the  children  of  Aaron  the  priest  they  gave  Hebron  with  its  com- 
mon pasture  lands,  the  city  of  refuge  for  the  manslayer,  and  Libnah  with  its 
common  pasture  lands,  14Jattir  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  Eshtemoa 
with  its  common  pasture  lands,  15Holon  with  its  common  pasture  lands, 
Debir  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  16Ain  with  its  common  pasture  lands, 
Juttah  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  and  Beth-shemesh  with  its  common 
pasture  lands;  nine  cities  out  of  those  two  tribes.  17 And  out  of  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin  Gibeon  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  Geba  with  its  common 
pasture  lands,  18Anathoth  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  and  Almon  with 
its  common  pasture  lands;  four  cities.  19A11  the  cities  of  the  children  of  Aaron, 
the  priests,  were  thirteen  cities  with  their  common  pasture  lands. 

20And  the  families  of  the  Kohathites,  even  the  rest  of  the  Kohathites, 
who  were  Levites,  had  the  cities  indicated  by  their  lot  out  of  the  tribe  of  Eph- 
raim. 21And  they  gave  them  Shechem  with  its  common  pasture  lands  in 
the  hill-country  of  Ephraim,  the  city  of  refuge  for  the  manslayer,  and  Gezer 
with  its  common  pasture  lands,  22and  Kibzaim  with  its  common  pasture 
lands,  and  Beth-horon  with  its  common  pasture  lands;  four  cities.  23 And 
out  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  Elteke  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  Gibbethon 
with  its  common  pasture  lands,  24Aijalon  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  Gath- 
rimmon  with  its  common  pasture  lands;  four  cities.  25 And  out  of  the  half- 
tribe  of  Manasseh,  Taanach  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  and  Gath- 
rimmon  with  its  common  pasture  lands;  two  cities.  26 All  the  cities  of  the 
families  of  the  rest  of  the  Kohathites  were  ten  with  their  common  pasture 
lands. 

27 And  to  the  Gershonites  of  the  families  of  the  Levites,  out  of  the  half -tribe 
of  Manasseh  they  gave  Golan  in  Bashan  with  its  common  pasture  lands, 
the  city  of  refuge  for  the  manslayer,  and  Beesh-terah  with  its  common 
pasture  lands;  two  cities.  28 And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Issachar,  Kishion  with 
its  common  pasture  lands,  Daberath  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  29Jar- 
muth  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  En-gannim  with  its  common  pasture 
lands;  four  cities.  30 And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  Mishal  with  its  common 
pasture  lands,  31Helkath  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  and  Rehob  with  its 
common  pasture  lands;  four  cities.  32 And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali, 
Kedesh  in  Galilee  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  the  city  of  refuge  for  the 
manslayer,  and  Hammoth-dor  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  and  Kartan 
with  its  common  pasture  lands;  three  cities.  33 All  the  cities  of  the  Ger- 
shonites according  to  their  families  were  thirteen  cities  with  their  common 
pasture  lands. 

34And  to  the  families  of  the  Merarites,  the  rest  of  the  Levites,  they  gave  out 
of  the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  Jokneam  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  and  Kartah 
with  its  common  pasture  lands,  35Dimnah  with  its  common  pasture  lands, 
Nahalal  with  its  common  pasture  lands;  four  cities.  36 And  out  of  the  tribe 
of  Reuben,  Bezer  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  and  Jahaz  with  its  common 

292 


THE  LEVITES 


[Josh.  2136 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

pasture  lands,  37Kedemoth  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  and  Mephaath 
with  its  common  pasture  lands;  four  cities.  38 And  out  of  the  tribe  of  Gad, 
Ramoth  in  Gilead  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  the  city  of  refuge  for  the 
manslayer,  and  Mahanaim  with  its  common  pasture  lands,  39Heshbon  with 
its  common  pasture  lands,  Jazer  with  its  common  pasture  lands;  four  citie3 
in  all.  40A11  these  were  the  cities  of  the  Merarites  according  to  their  families, 
the  rest  of  the  families  of  the  Levites;  and  the  inheritance  determined  by 
their  lot  was  twelve  cities. 

41  All  the  cities  of  the  Levites  in  the  midst  of  the  possession  of  the  Israelites 
were  forty-eight  cities  with  their  common  pasture  lands.  42These  cities 
each  included  their  common  pasture  lands  round  about  them;  thus  it  was  with 
all  these  cities.  1949a  [51b]  So  they  completed  the  division  of  the  land  into 
inheritances  throughout  its  whole  extent. 


Ill 


RELIGIOUS  AND  SOCIAL  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  AFTER 
THEIR  INITIAL  CONQUESTS  IN  CANAAN,  Judg.  219, 
17-21,  Josh.  830"35,  181,  20,  229-34,  23,  24,  Ruth 


§ 124.  Transfer  of  the  Centre  of  Religious  Life,  Judg.  21-5,  Josh.  18* 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Jeho-  Judg.  2 4Then  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  came  up 
leader-  from  Gilgal  to  Bochim.  And  he  said,  I led  you  up  out  of 
corn  anC'  Egypt,  and  have  brought  you  to  the  land  which  I promised  to 
rnands  your  fathers  with  an  oath  ; as  I said,  I will  never  break  my  cove- 
nant with  you ; 2and  ye  shall  make  no  terms  with  the  inhabitants 


Late  Priestly  Nar- 
ratives 

Josh.  18  JThen 
the  whole  congre- 
gation of  the  Is- 


Religious  and  Social  Life  of  the  Hebrews. — Scattered  through  the  books  of  Josh.,  Judg. 
and  Ruth  are  certain  indep  ndent  traditions  which  record  events,  following  the  initial  conquests 
and  yet  antedating  the  dear  ' of  Joshua,  or  at  least,  with  the  possible  exception  of  the  story  of 
Ruth,  belonging  to  the  earlier  part  of  the  period  of  settlement  in  Canaan.  They  treat  of  the 
religious  and  social  life  of  the  Hebrews  during  this  epoch,  and  for  this  reason  their  value  is  great. 
Unfortunately,  however,  with  the  exception  of  Judg.  21-  6b,  17,  18  (and  parts  of  19-21),  Josh.  24, 
and  Ruth,  they  appear  to  be  from  the  late  prophetic  and  priestly  sources. 

It  is  also  a cause  for  regret  that  the  book  of  Joshua  has  no  chronological  scheme  and  that 
the  elaborate  one  in  Judg.  proves  to  be  from  a later  editor.  Cf . note  § 135.  The  oldest  traditions 
contain  no  statements  regarding  dates.  The  relations  of  events  to  each  other  must  be  inferred 
simply  from  the  order  in  which  they  are  recorded  and  from  allusions  within  the  narratives 
themselves.  _ Results  therefore  are  only  approximate.  The  lack  of  national  organization  and 
of  the  facilities  for  recording  events  undoubtedly  explain  why  the  O.T.  furnishes  only  occasional 
glimpses  of  persons  and  conditions  during  the  important  period  of  settlement.  If  these  glimpses 
often  show  how  crude  were  the  religious  ideas  and  practices  of  the  Hebrews  at  this  early  age, 
they  also  provide  a valuable  basis  for  the  appreciation  of  the  progress  traceable  in  succeeding 
centuries. 

§ 124  Fragmentary  and  much  revised  though  this  brief  narrative  is,  its  purpose  seems  ob- 
vious. While  the  initial  conquests  in  Canaan  were  in  progress,  Gilgal  remained  the  chief  relig- 
ious centre  for  the  Hebrews.  There  the  tent  of  meeting  with  the  ark  probably  remained;  but 
when  they  gained  a secure  foothold  in  the  hill-country,  a more  central  sanctuary  was  required. 
The  priestly  tradition  in  Joshua  181,  1951,  and  the  stories  in  I Sam.  indicate  that  Shiloh  met  this 
need.  The  Gk.  of  Judg.  21  adds,  to  Bethel  and  to  the  house  of  Israel.  From  the  earliest  period 
Bethel  shared  with  Shiloh  the  favor  of  the  Israelites,  as  the  traditions  regarding  its  origin  de- 
monstrate. Bochim  has  not  been  identified.  It  may  be  a mistaken  reading  for  Bethel,  or  may 
be  connected  with  the  Allon  Bacuth  of  Gen.  358,  5 42,  which  was  below  Bethel.  The  later  par- 
allels, however,  suggest  that  it  was  at  or  near  Shiloh. 

The  original  continuation  of  2la  is  sb.  This  brief  fragment  has  the  peculiar  expressions 

293 


The  to- 
tal num- 
ber of 
Leviti- 
cal  cities 


The  tent 
of  meet- 
ing at 
Shiloh 


The  ob- 
ject of 
the 

cities  of 
refuge 


The  cit- 
ies thus 
set  apart 


Judg.  22]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh.  18* * 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

of  this  land  ; ye  shall  break  down  their  altars.  But  ye  have'not 
heeded  my  injunction.  What  is  this  ye  have  done?  3Now,  as  I 
also  said,  I will  not  drive  them  out  from  before  you ; but  they 
shall  be  as  thorns  in  your  sides, a and  their  gods  shall  be  a snare 
to  you.  4And  it  came  to  pass  when  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah 
spoke  these  words  to  all  the  Israelites,  that  the  people  broke  out 
into  loud  weeping.  5Hence  they  called  the  name  of  that  place 
Bochim  [Weepers],  And  they  sacrificed  there  to  Jehovah. 


Late  Priestly  N ar- 
ratives 

raelites  assembled 
at  Shiloh  and  set 
up  the  tent  of  meet- 
ing there,  when 
the  land  was  sub- 
dued before  them. 


125.  Establishment  of  Cities  of  Refuge,  Josh.  20 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Josh.  20  'Then  Jehovah  commanded  Joshua,  2Speak  to  the  Israelites, 
saying,  ‘Assign  the  cities  of  refuge,  concerning  which  I spoke  to  you  by  Moses, 
3that  the  manslayer  who  killeth  any  person  unintentionally1*  may  escape 
thither;  and  they  shall  be  for  you  a refuge  from  the  avenger  of  blood.  4And 
when  he  shall  flee  to  one  of  those  cith-s,  and  shall  stand  at  the  entrance  of  the  gate  of  the 
city,  and  explain  his  case  in  the  hearing  of  the  elders  of  that  city,  they  shall  receive  him  into 
the  city  with  them,  and  give  him  a place,  that  he  may  dwell  among  them.  5 And  if  the 
avenger  of  blood  pursue  him,  then  they  shall  not  deliver  the  manslayer  into  his  power  ; be- 
cause he  smote  his  neighbor  unintentionally,  not  having  previously  hated  him.  6 And  he 
shall  dwell  in  that  city,  until  he  appears  before  the  congregation  for  judgment  or 
until  the  death  of  the  high  priest  who  shall  be  in  office  in  those  days.  Then  the  manslayer 
may  return,  and  come  to  his  own  city,  and  to  his  own  house,  to  the  city  from  which 
he  fled.’ 

7So  they  set  apart  Kedesh  in  Galilee  in  the  hill-country  of  Naphtali,  and 
Shechem  in  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim,  and  Kiriath-arba  (that  is,  Hebron) 
in  the  hill-country  of  Judah.  8And  beyond  the  Jordan  on  the  east  of  Jericho, 
they  assigned  Bezer  in  the  wilderness,  on  the  table-land  from  the  tribe  of 
Reuben,  and  Ramoth  in  Gilead  from  the  tribe  of  Gad,  and  Golan  in  Bashan 
from  the  tribe  of  Manasseh.  9These  were  the  cities  which  were  appointed 
for  all  the  Israelites  and  for  the  alien  residing  among  them,  that  anyone  killing 
a person  unintentionally  might  escape  there  and  not  die  by  the  hand  of  the 
avenger  of  blood,  until  he  had  stood  before  the  congregation. 


§ 126.  Altar  on  Mount  Ebal,  Josh.  830"35 
Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Josh.  8 30Then  Joshua  built  an  altar  to  Jehovah  the  God  of  Israel,  oi 
Mount  Ebal,31as  Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah  had  commanded  the  Israelites, 


and  point,  of  view  of  the  Judean  narrative  in  Judg.  1.  The  verses  which  intervene  are 
evidently  additions  from  a late  prophetic  (Deut.)  editor.  It  combines  an  exhortation  not  to 
make  alliances  with  the  natives  of  Canaan  with  a popular  etymology  of  the  name  Bochim. 

* 23  Heb.,  simply,  shall  be  in  your  sides.  Evidently  an  abbreviated  form  of  the  above  idiom. 
Cf.  Num.  33“  Josh.  24. 

§ 125  Chapter  20  is  characterized  by  the  expressions  and  ideas  peculiar  to  the  very  late 
priestly  narratives.  It  records  the  execution  of  the  command  found  in  the  priestly  tradition 
of  Num.  359-15.  The  details  of  4-6  are  taken  from  Deut.  19.  They  are  evidently  very  late  edi- 
torial additions.  Excepting  the  clause,  until  he  stands  before  the  congregation  jor  judgement,  the 
vss.  4-6  were  not  found  in  the  text  adopted  by  the  Gk.  translators. 

b 203  Heb.  adds  here,  unwittingly.  But  in  5-  9,  where  the  same  idiom  occurs,  it  is  not  found; 
also  not  in  Gk.  and  Lat.  It  was  evidently  added  after  the  Gk.  translation  was  made. 

§126  In  the  Heb.  this  narrative  follows  immediately  after  the  account  of.  the  conquest  of 
Ai  and  precedes  the  descriptions  of  the  campaigns  in  the  north,  which  it  anticipates.  The  Gk. 
translators  recognized  that  it  was  not  in  its  true  setting  and  transferred  it  to  a position  after  91. 

294. 


ALTAR  ON  MOUNT  EBAL 


[Josh.  831 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

as  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  an  altar  of  unhewn  stones,  upon  which  no  Erection 
one  had  used  a tool.®  And  they  offered  burnt-offerings  on  it  to  Jehovah  and  memo- 
sacrificed  peace-offerings.  32 And  he  inscribed  there  upon  the  stones  a copy  of  "fth  the 
the  law  of  Moses,  which  he  had  written  in  the  presence  of  the  Israelites,  bribed 
33 And  all  Israel  with  their  elders,  officers,  and  judges  were  standing  on  each  upon  11 
side  of  the  ark  before  the  priests,  the  Levites,  who  carried  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  of  Jehovah — the  resident  alien  as  well  as  the  native  born'1 — half  of  them 
in  front  of  Mount  Gerizim,  and  half  of  them  in  front  of  Mount  Ebal;  as 
Moses  the  servant  of  Jehovah  had  commanded  them  at  the  first,  that  they 
should  bless  the  people  of  Israel. 

34And  afterwards  he  read  all  the  words  of  the  law,  the  blessing  and  the  curse,  Public 
according  to  all  that  is  written  in  the  book  of  the  law.  35There  was  not  a [f’The K 
word  of  all  that  Moses  commanded,  which  Joshua  did  not  read  before  all  Uw 
the  assembly  of  Israel,  and  the  women,  and  the  little  ones,  and  the  resident 
aliens  who  were  journeying  among  them. 


§ 127.  Altar  by  the  Jordan,  Josh.  229-3* 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Josll.  22  9Then  the  Reubenites  and  the  Gadites  and  the  half-tribe  of  Depart- 
Manasseh  departed  from  the  Israelites  from  Shiloh,  which  is  in  the  land  of  east°Jor- 
Canaan,  to  return  to  the  land  of  Gilead,  to  the  land  which  was  their  inheri-  tribes 
tance  of  which  they  had  gained  possession  according  to  the  commandment  of 
Jehovah  by  Moses. 

10Now  when  they  came  to  the  region  about  the  Jordan,  which  is  in  the  Their 
land  of  Canaan,  the  Reubenites  and  the  Gadites  and  the  half -tribe  of  Manas-  ofanai- 
seh  built  there  an  altar  by  the  Jordan, — an  altar  of  great  size.  11  And  the  the  Jor- 
Israelites  heard  a report  that  the  Reubenites  and  the  Gadites  and  the  half-  dan 
tribe  of  Manasseh  had  built  an  altar  on  the  frontier  of  the  land  of  Canaan, 
in  the  region  about  the  Jordan,  on  the  side  belonging  to  the  Israelites.  12And 
when  the  Israelites  heard  of  it,  the  whole  congregation  of  the  Israelites 
assembled  at  Shiloh  to  go  up  to  war  against  them. 

13Then  the  Israelites  sent  to  the  Reubenites  and  to  the  Gadites  and  to  the 
half-tribe  of  Manasseh,  into  the  land  of  Gilead,  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar 

Modern  commentators  have  suggested  that  it  marked  the  close  of  the  entire  conquest  and  be- 
longs  after  ll23.  It  certainly  assumes  that  the  Hebrews  were  already  masters  of  central  Canaan, 
and  that  the  ark  had  been  transferred  from  Gilgal,  § 124.  The  language  is  unmistakably  that 
of  the  late  prophetic  editor,  and  the  section  is  closely  related  to  Dt.  271-8-  u.  In  general  it 
carries  out  the  commands  there  laid  down,  although  there  are  important  variations  as  regards 
details.  While  it  is  not  improbable  that  both  narratives  are  based  upon  earlier  Ephraimite 
traditions,  it  is  clear  that  in  their  present  form  they  are  among  the  later  additions  to  the  Hexa- 
teuch.  They  reflect  that  deep  regard  for  the  written  law  which  was  one  of  the  chief  charac- 
teristics of  later  Judaism. 

K 831  Heb.,  lifted  up  iron. 

d 8s3  An  expression  peculiar  to  the  late  priestly  writers. 

§127  This  narrative  has  all  the  characteristic  expressions  and  reflects  the  point  of  view  of 
the  late  priestly  source.  Phinehas  the  priest , not  Joshua,  is  the  leader  of  the  congregation  in  30. 

The  story  is  the  sequel  of  the  priestly  tradition  in  Num.  32,  §102.  As  in  the  account  of  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  cities  of  refuge,  §125,  it  shows  traces  of  a later  redaction  by  an  editor 
familiar  with  the  late  prophetic  vocabulary.  From  25  • 32 . 34  it  appears  that  the  half-tribe  of 
Manasseh  did  not  figure  in  the  original  tradition.  Like  many  of  the  late  priestly  stories,  this 
was  probably  based  on  an  older  version  once  found  in  the  prophetic  sources. 

295 


Remon- 
strance 
of  the 
rest  of 
the 

tribes  of 
Israel 


Expla- 
nation of 
their 
real  pur- 
pose 


Josh.  2213]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

the  priest,  14and  with  him  ten  princes,  one  prince  of  a fathers’  house  for  each 
of  the  tribes  of  Israel;  and  they  were  every  one  of  them  heads  of  their  fathers’ 
houses  among  the  thousands  of  Israel.  15And  they  came  to  the  Reubenites, 
the  Gadites,  and  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh,  in  the  land  of  Gilead,  and  said 
to  them,  16Thus  say  the  whole  congregation  of  Jehovah,  ‘How  is  this  that  you 
have  broken  faith  with  the  God  of  Israel,  in  turning  away  at  this  time  from 
following  Jehovah,  by  your  building  an  altar  in  rebellion  now  against  Je- 
hovah ? 17Is  the  iniquity  of  Peor  too  little  for  us,  from  which  we  have  not 
cleansed  ourselves  to  this  day,  although  a plague  came  upon  the  congregation 
of  Jehovah,  18that  you  must  turn  away  at  this  time  from  following  Jehovah? 
for  the  result  will  be,  you  rebel  to-day  against  Jehovah,  and  to-morrow  he 
will  be  angry  with  the  whole  congregation  of  Israel.  19However,  if  the  land 
which  is  your  possession  is  unclean,  then  pass  over  to  the  land  which  is 
the  possession  of  Jehovah,  in  which  Jehovah’s  dwelling  is  placed,  and  take 
a possession  among  us;  only  do  not  rebel  against  Jehovah,  nor  rebel  against 
us,  in  building  yourselves  an  altar  in  addition  to  the  altar  of  Jehovah  our 
God.  20Did  not  Achan  the  son  of  Zerah  commit  a trespass  in  that  which 
was  placed  under  the  ban,  and  did  not  the  wrath  fall  upon  all  the  congregation 
of  Israel  ? and  that  man  did  not  perish  alone  in  his  iniquity.’ 

21Then  the  Reubenites  and  the  Gadites  and  the  half -tribe  of  Manasseh 
made  answer  to  the  heads  of  the  thousands  of  Israel,  22The  Mighty  One, 
God,  Jehovah,  the  Mighty  One,  God,  Jehovah, d he  knoweth,  and  Israel  shall 
know,  whether  it  is  in  rebellion  or  in  trespass  against  Jehovah,  if  so,  save  us 
not  this  day!  23that  we  have  built  us  an  altar  to  turn  away  from  following 
Jehovah;  or  to  offer  on  it  burnt-offering  or  meal-offering,  or  to  offer  sacrifices 
of  peace-offerings  on  it,  let  Jehovah  himself  exact  the  penalty.  24Or  whether 
we  have  not  rather  done  it  out  of  fear  of  this,  namely,  that,  in  time  to  come 
your  children  might  say  to  our  children,  ‘What  have  you  to  do  with  Jehovah, 
the  God  of  Israel  ?25f or  Jehovah  hath  made  the  Jordan  a boundary  between 
us  and  you,  you  Reubenites  and  Gadites  have  no  portion  in  Jehovah;’  and  so 
your  children  might  cause  our  children  to  cease  fearing  Jehovah.  ^There- 
fore we  said,  ‘Let  us  now  prepare  to  build  us  an  altar,  not  for  burnt-offering 
nor  for  sacrifice,  27but  it  shall  be  a witness  between  us  and  you,  and  to  our 
descendants  after  us,  that  we  may  perform  the  service  of  Jehovah  before 
him  with  our  burnt-offerings,  and  our  sacrifices,  and  our  peace-offerings; 
that  your  children  may  not  say  to  our  children  in  time  to  come,  “You  have 
no  portion  in  Jehovah.”  ’ 28Therefore  we  said,  ‘It  shall  be,  if  they  should 
speak  thus  to  us  or  to  our  descendants  in  time  to  come,  then  we  could  say, 
“Behold  the  pattern  of  the  altar  of  Jehovah,  which  our  fathers  made,  not  for 
burnt-offering  nor  for  sacrifice;  but  it  is  a witness  between  us  and  you.”  ’ 
29Far  be  it  from  us  that  we  should  rebel  against  Jehovah,  and  turn  away  at 
this  time  from  following  Jehovah  to  build  an  altar  for  burnt-offering,  for 
meal-offering,  or  for  sacrifice,  in  addition  to  the  altar  of  Jehovah  our  God 
that  is  before  his  dwelling. 

d The  repetition  of  the  El,  Elohim,  Jehovah,  is  in  the  Heb.  very  impressive,  and  the  broken 
sentence  which  follows  reveals  the  intensity  of  the  feeling. 

296 


ALTAR  BY  THE  JORDAN 


[Josh.  2230 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

30Now  when  Phinehas  the  priest,  and  the  princes  of  the  congregation,  the  Accept 
heads  of  the  thousands  of  Israel,  who  were  with  him,  heard  the  words  that  the  the  ex- 
Reubenites  and  the  Gadites  and  the  Manassites  spoke,  it  pleased  them  well,  [ion  as 
31And  Phinehas  the  son  of  Eleazar  the  priest  said  to  the  Reubenites  and  the  toryfac 
Gadites,  and  to  the  Manassites,  To-day  we  know  that  Jehovah  is  in  the  midst 
of  us,  because  you  have  not  committed  this  trespass  against  Jehovah.  Now 
you  have  delivered  the  Israelites  from  the  hand  of  Jehovah.  32So  Phinehas 
the  son  of  Eleazar  the  priest,  and  the  princes,  returned  from  the  Reubenites 
and  the  Gadites  from  the  land  of  Gilead  to  the  land  of  Canaan,  to  the 
Israelites  and  brought  them  back  a report.  33 And  the  matter  pleased  the 
Israelites,  so  that  the  Israelites  blessed  God,  and  said  nothing  more  about 
going  up  to  war  against  them,  to  destroy  the  land  in  which  the  Reubenites 
and  the  Gadites  lived.  34And  the  Reubenites  and  the  Gadites  called  the 
altar,  Ed  [Witness];  For,  they  said,e  it  is  a witness  between  us  that  Jehovah  is 
God. 


§ 128.  Joshua’s  Farewell  Address,  Josh.  23,  241-28,  Judg.  26 


Later  Ephraimite 

Review  Josh.  24  xThen  Joshua  assembled 
mercies8  all  the  tribes  of  Israel  in  Shechem, 
people  and  called  for  the  elders  of  Israel, 
early1  and  for  their  heads  and  for  their 
history  jU(jges>  ancj  for  their  officers;  and 
they  presented  themselves  before 
God.  2And  Joshua  said  to  all  the 
people,  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  God 
of  Israel,  Your  fathers  dwelt  in  an- 
cient times  beyond  the  River  [Eu- 
phrates], Terah,  the  father  of  Abraham, 
and  the  father  of  Nahor,  and  they  served 
other  gods.  3But  I took  your  father 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

23  xNow  after  many  days,  when  Exhor- 
Jehovah  had  given  rest  to  Israel  from  not  to 
all  their  enemies  round  about,  and  any  aiii- 
when  Joshua  was  old  and  far  ad-  butw 
vanced  in  years,  2Joshua  called  for  ‘oyau'o 
all  Israel,  for  their  elders  and  for  aijd°hi!h 
their  heads,  and  for  their  judges  and  law 
for  their  officers,  and  said  to  them, 

I am  old  and  far  advanced  in  years; 

3and  you  have  seen  all  that  Jehovah 
your  God  hath  done  to  all  these  na- 
tions before  you;  for  Jehovah  your 
God,  he  it  is  that  hath  fought  for  you. 


® Josh.  2234  They  said  is  lacking  in  Heb.,  but  supplied  by  other  versions  and  demanded  by 
the  context  and  analogies. 

§ 128  Joshua’s  address  in  24  is  obviously  from  the  Ephraimite  source.  Cf.  Amorites 
in  15-  18,  God  in  1 19«  27 , and  many  other  characteristic  expressions.  The  historical  retrospect 
also  contains  allusions  to  the  Ephraimite  versions  of  the  early  traditions.  The  subject-matter 
was  of  a nature  to  invite  editorial  additions,  of  which  there  appear  to  be  many.  Several  of 
these  are  not  found  in  the  Gk.  The  relationship  between  this  address  and  that  of  Moses  in  Dt., 
and  that  of  Samuel  in  I Sam.  7,  8,  is  close,  both  in  language  and  purpose.  Cf.  Introd.,  p.  42,  and 
§ 104.  They  all  appear  to  belong  to  a later,  rather  than  an  early,  stratum  of  the  Ephraimite  narra- 
tives. and  represent  the  dramatic  and  effective  way  by  which  the  prophetic  writers  enforce  their 
teachings.  Tradition  may  also  have  preserved  the  fact  that  Joshua  uttered  a farewell  to  the 
nation  and  possibly  certain  of  his  words  on  that  occasion.  Israel ’s  early  leaders,  however, 
appear  to  have  been  men  of  action  rather  than  of  words.  It  is  suggestive  that  all  of  the  pro- 
phetic addresses  scattered  through  the  opening  books  of  the  O.T.  are  found  in  those  narratives 
which  come  from  the  eighth  and  following  centuries  b.c.,  when  prophets  like  Amos  and 
Isaiah  had  made  the  spoken  sermon  the  chief  medium  of  popular  instruction. 

The  implication  in  23  is  that  it  also  contains  Joshua’s  final  words,  but  there  is  no  connection 
between  it  and  24;  rather  each  is  mutually  exclusive.  The  inference,  therefore,  is  that  they  are 
from  independent  sources.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  striking  parallels  in  language  and  thought 
between,  e.  g.,  232*  3-  10-  16  and  the  similar  exhortations  in  Dt.  28-32.  23  is  evidently  from  the 

same  late  prophetic  editor  who  provided  the  introduction,  1,  and  the  many  supplemental  notes 
and  summaries  which  characterize  the  book  of  Josh. 

297 


Josh.  243]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN  [Josh.  234 


Later  Ephraimite 

Abraham  from  beyond  the  River, 
and  led  him  throughout  all  the  land 
of  Canaan,  and  made  his  descend- 
ants numerous,  and  gave  him  Isaac. 
4And  I gave  to  Isaac,  Jacob  and 
Esau;  and  I gave  to  Esau  Mount 
Seir,  that  he  might  possess  it ; but  Ja- 
cob and  his  children  went  down  in- 
to Egypt.  5Then  I sent  Moses  and 
Aaron,  and  when  I had  smitten  Egypt 
as  I did  in  its  midst,  afterward  I 
brought  you  out.  6And  as  I brought 
your  fathers  out  of  Egypt/  and  you  ] 


sued  your  father$f  with  chariots  and 
horsemen  to  the  Red  Sea.  7But 
when  they  cried  out  to  Jehovah,  he 
put  darkness  between  you  and  the 
Egyptians,  and  brought  the  sea  upon 
them,  and  covered  them;  and  your 
eyes  saw  what  I did  in  Egypt;  and 
you  dwelt  a long  time  in  the  wilder- 
ness. 8Then  I brought  you  into  the 
land  of  the  Amorites,  who  lived  be- 
yond the  Jordan  and  they  fought  with 
you ; but  I gave  them  into  your  power, 
and  you  took  possession  of  their  land; 
thus  I destroyed  them  from  before 
you.  9Then  Balak  the  son  of  Zippor, 
king  of  Moab,  arose  and  fought 
against  Israel ; and  he  sent  and  called 
Balaam  the  son  of  Beor  to  curse  you ; 
10and  I would  not  hearken  to  Balaam; 
but  he  blessed  you  instead;  so  I de- 
livered you  out  of  his  power.  uThen 
you  went  across  the  Jordan,  and  came 
to  Jericho,  and  the  men  of  Jericho 
fought  against  you,  the  Amorite,  the 
Perizzite,  the  Canaanite,  the  Hittite,  the 
Girgashite,  the  Hivite,  and  the  Jebusite  ;s 
I delivered  them  also  into  your  power. 
12And  I sent  the  hornet  before  you 
which  drove  them  out  from  before 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 
4Behold,  I have  left  you,  as  an  in- 
heritance for  your  tribes,  these  na- 
tions that  remain  from  the  Jordan 
with  all  the  nations  that  I have 
annihilated  even  to  the  Great  Sea  to- 
ward the  going  down  of  the  sun. 
5And  Jehovah  your  God,  he  will 
thrust  them  out  from  before  you, 
and  drive  them  out  of  your  sight; 
and  you  shall  possess  their  land,  as 
Jehovah  your  God  promised  you. 
6Therefore  be  very  steadfast  in  keep- 
ing and  in  doing  all  that  is  written  in 
the  book  of  the  law  of  Moses,  that 
you  may  not  turn  aside  from  it  to 
the  right  or  to  the  left,  7that  you  may 
not  mingle  with  these  nations, 
which  remain  among  you,  neither 
call  upon  the  names  of  their  gods, 
nor  use  them  in  oaths,  neither  serve 
them,  nor  bow  yourselves  down  to 
them;  8but  be  loyal  to  Jehovah  your 
God,  as  you  have  been  to  this  day. 
9For  Jehovah  hath  driven  out  from 
before  you  nations  great  and  strong; 
but,  as  for  you,  to  this  day,  no 
man  has  stood  before  you.  10One 
man  of  you  shall  put  a thousand  to 
flight,  for  Jehovah  your  God,  he  it  is 
who  fights  for  you,  as  he  promised 
you.  11Take  good  heed  therefore 
that  you  love  Jehovah  your  God. 
12For  if  you  go  back  and  associate 
yourselves  with  the  remnant  of 
these  nations,  even  these  that  remain 
among  you,  and  make  marriages 
with  them,  and  go  in  unto  them,  and 
they  to  you,  13know  for  a certainty 
that  Jehovah  your  God  will  no  more 
drive  these  nations  out  of  your  sight; 
but  they  shall  be  a snare  and  a trap 
to  you,  and  a scourge  in  your  sides, 


< 24®  An  awkward  supplemental  note.  Gk.  revises  by  combining  6b  and  but  does  not 
improve  the  text.  The  rest  of  the  verse  has  also  been  corrupted  in  transmission. 

g 24ub  A later  gloss,  inconsistent  with  the  context  and  the  earlier  account  of  the  capture  of 
Jericho. 


298 


Josh.  2412]  JOSHUA’S  FAREWELL  ADDRESS 


[Josh.  2313 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 
and  thorns  in  your  eyes,  until  you 
perish  from  off  this  good  land  which 
Jehovah  your  God  hath  given  you. 


Their 
solemn 
pledge 
to  obey 
him 


Later  Ephraimite 

you,  even  the  two  kings  of  the  Amorites  ; 
not  with  your  sword,  nor  with  your  bow.h 
13Thus  I gave  you  a land  for  which  you  had 
not  toiled  and  cities  which  you  had  not  built, 
and  you  are  living  in  them ; and  you  are 
eating  the  fruit  of  vineyards  and  oliveyards, 
which  you  did  not  plant.' 

Their  14Now  therefore  fear  Jehovah  and 
Sons  to  serve  him  in  sincerity  and  in  truth  and 
away  ail  put  away  the  gods  which  your  fathers 
godsand  served  beyond  the  river,  and  in  Egypt, 
him  only  and  serve  Jehovah.  15If,  however,  it 
seems  evil  to  you  to  serve  Jehovah, 
choose  to-day  whom  you  will  serve; 
whether  the  gods  which  your  fathers 
served  that  were  beyond  the  River, 
or  the  gods  of  the  Amorites,  in  whose 
land  you  dwell;  but  as  for  me  and  Ale- 
house we  will  serve  Jehovah. 

16Then  the  people  answered  and 
said,  Far  be  it  from  us  that  we  should 
forsake  Jehovah  to  serve  other  gods; 

17for  Jehovah  our  God,  he  it  is  who 
brought  us  and  our  fathers  up  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt,  from  a house  of  bond- 
age, and  did  those  great  signs  in  our  sight,! 
and  preserved  us  throughout  all  of 
our  journey,  and  among  all  the 
peoples  through  the  midst  of  whom 
we  passed;  18Jehovah  too  drove  out 
from  before  us  all  the  peoples,  even 
the  Amorites,  who  lived  in  the  land;k 
therefore  we  also  will  serve  Jehovah; 
for  he  is  our  God. 

19Then  Joshua  said  to  the  people.  You  will  not  be  able  to  serve  Jehovah; 
tested a^"  ^°r  's  a holy  God;  he  is  a jealous  God;  he  will  not  forgive  your  transgres- 
memori  s*ons  nor  your  s>ns-  20If  you  forsake  Jehovah,  and  serve  foreign  gods,  then 
setu°na  ^le  w'^  turn  and  do  you  evil,  and  consume  you  even  after  he  hath  done  you 
she- ^ good.  21But  the  people  said  to  Joshua,  No;  but  we  will  serve  Jehovah, 
c em  22Then  Joshua  said  to  the  people,  You  are  witnesses  against  yourselves  that 
you  have  chosen  Jehovah  for  yourselves  to  serve  him.  And  they  said,  We 
are  witnesses.  23Now  therefore  put  away  the  foreign  gods  which  are  among 
you,  and  turn  your  heart  to  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel.  24And  the  people 

h 24l2b  Gk.  reads  twelve  kings.  The  form  of  the  clause  and  its  loose  connection  with  the  pre- 
ceding suggest  strongly  that  it  is  a later  explanatory  note.  The  conquest  is  also  represented 
in  the  Kphraimite  narratives  as  having  been  by  the  sword. 

1 2413  lhis  verse  carries  on  the  idea  in  the  preceding  clause  and  is  full  of  the  characteristic 
expressions  of  the  later  prophetic  editor. 

‘ 2417  Another  addition  from  a late  priestly  editor. 

k 2418  For  the  same  idea  cf.  Am.  2'. 


14Now  behold  this  day  I am  going  Jk®dr®"of 
the  way  of  all  the  earth;  therefore  fidelity 

J . in  and  the 

know  with  all  vour  hearts  and  all  penai- 

, J , • i ties  of 

your  souls  that  not  one  thing  has  apostasy 
failed  of  all  the  good  promises  which 
Jehovah  your  God  spoke  concerning 
you;  all  have  been  realized  for  you, 
not  one  of  them  has  failed.  15And 
it  shall  come  to  pass  that,  as  all  the 
good  things  have  come  upon  you 
of  which  Jehovah  your  God  spoke 
to  you,  so  will  Jehovah  bring  upon 
you  all  the  evil  things,  until  he  has 
destroyed  you  from  off  this  good 
land  which  Jehovah  your  God  hath 
given  you.  16When  you  transgress 
the  covenant  of  Jehovah  your  God, 
which  he  commanded  you,  and  go 
and  serve  other  gods,  and  bow  down 
yourselves  to  them;  then  shall  the 
anger  of  Jehovah  be  aroused  against 
you,  and  you  shall  perish  quickly 
from  off  the  good  land  which  he 
hath  given  you. 


The  sol- 
emn cov- 


299 


Burial  of 
Joshua 
at  Tim- 
nath- 
serah 


Of  Elea- 
zar  in 
Eph- 
raim 


Origin  of 
Micah’s 
idols  and 
the  es- 
tablish- 
ment 
of  his 
sanct- 
uary 


Josh.2424]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN 

Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

said  to  Joshua,  Jehovah  our  God  will  we  serve  and  to  his  voice  we  will  hearken, 
25So  Joshua  made  a covenant  with  the  people  that  day  and  established  a 
statute  and  an  ordinance  for  them  in  Shechem.  26 And  Joshua  wrote  these 
words  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  God  and  he1  took  a great  stone,  and  set  it  up  there 
under  the  oak  that  was  in  the  sanctuary  of  Jehovah.  27Then  Joshua  said  to 
all  the  people.  Behold  this  stone  shall  be  a witness  against  us,  for  it  has  heard 
all  the  words  which  Jehovah  has  spoken  to  us;  therefore  it  shall  be  a wit- 
ness against  you,  that  you  may  not  deny  your  God.  28Then  Joshua  sent 
the  people  away,  each  to  his  inheritance.  Judg.  2 6So  when  Joshua  had 
sent  the  people  away,  the  Israelites  went  each  to  his  inheritance  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  land.m 


§ 129.  Death  of  Joshua  and  Eleazar,  Josh.  2429'31’ 33 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

Josh.  24  29 And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  Joshua  the  son  of 
Nun,  the  servant  of  Jehovah,  died,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten  years. 
30 And  they  buried  him  in  the  territory  included  in  his  inheritance,  in  Timnath- 
serah,  which  is  in  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim,  on  the  north  of  the  mountain 
of  Gaash. 

33Eleazar,  also,  the  son  of  Aaron,  died,  and  they  buried  him  in  the  hill  of 
Phinehas  his  son,  which  was  given  him  in  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim. 

§ 130.  The  Sanctuary  of  Micah  the  Ephraimite,  Judg.  17,  18ls 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  17  4Now  there  was  a man  of  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim,  whose 
name  was  Micah.  2aAnd  he  said  to  his  mother,  The  eleven  hundred  shekels 
of  silver  which  were  taken  from  you,  about  which  you  took  an  oath,  saying  it 
aloud  in  my  hearing,  behold,  the  silver  is  with  me;  it  was  I who  took  it.  3bNow 


i 2426a  The  expressions  and  the  conception  are  those  of  a later  age. 

m Judg.  2s  In  his  introduction  to  his  version  of  the  book  of  Judg.  § 135,  the  late  prophetic 
editor  appears  to  have  quoted  in  26  a verse  from  the  Ephraimite  tradition  represented  in  Josh. 
24.  Judg.  26  is  perhaps  the  original  and  Josh.  2428  only  an  abridgment  of  it. 

§ 129  These  verses  form  the  conclusion  not  only  of  the  Ephraimite  version  of  Joshua's  fare- 
well address,  but  also  of  the  history  of  the  conquest.  With  the  exception  of  the  opening  words, 
29  30  are  quoted  verbatim  by  the  editor  of  Judg.  in  28-  9.  He  has  prefaced  them,  27,  with 
the  same  statement  regarding  the  fidelity  of  the  people  during  the  lifetime  of  Joshua  as  are 
found  in  Josh.  2431.  Of.  § 135,  note  a.  24s2  has  already  beeD  classified  in  its  logical  connection, 
note  § 120. 

§130  The  appendix  to  Judg.,  chaps.  17-21  (cf.  Introd.,  pp.  27,  28),  contains  certain  stories 
very  different  in  theme  from  those  found  in  the  rest  of  the  book.  The  migration  of  the  Danites, 
of  which  the  present  story  is  the  introduction,  is  briefly  recorded  in  Josh.  1947.  This  implies 
that  it  took  place  either  before  or  not  long  after  the  death  of  Joshua.  Judg.  1831  also  states 
that  the  image  of  Micah,  stolen  by  the  Danites  and  set  up  at  Dan,  remained  there  as  long  as  the 
house  of  God  was  at  Shiloh.  This  early  sanctuary  appears  to  have  been  destroyed  by  the 
Philistines  near  the  close  of  the  period  of  the  Judges  (cf.  Jer.  712-  14),  so  that  the  statement  con- 
firms the  conclusion  that  the  events  recorded  in  17,  18  at  least  antedate  most  of  those  portrayed 
in  26-lfi31. 

The  primitive  origin  of  this  chapter  is  proclaimed  by  its  style  and  representation.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  valuable  illustrations  of  the  ancient  religious  practices  of  the  Hebrews  which  the 
O.T.  contains.  There  are  indications,  however,  that  it  is  not  all  from  the  same  source.  Thus 
in  2*5  there  is  not  a little  repetition.  In  2-4  Micah  is  said  to  have  made  a carved  and  molten 
image,  but  in  5 an  ephod  and  teraphim  with  the  money  which  his  mother  gave  him.  In  8-lla  he 
employs  as  his  priest  a young  Levite  from  Bethlehem  of  Judah,  but  in  7 the  Levi*''  ,rrT‘*-«  already 

300 


THE  SANCTUARY  OF  MICAH 


[JUDG.  173b 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

therefore  I restore  it  to  you.n  2bAnd  his  mother  said,  Blessed  of  Jehovah  is  my 
son.  3aThen  he  restored  the  eleven  hundred  shekels  of  silver  to  his  mother 
and  his  mother  said,  I solemnly  consecrate  the  silver  to  Jehovah  from  my 
hand  through  my  son,  to  make  a carved  and  a molten  image.  4So,  when  he 
restored  the  money  to  his  mother,  his  mother  took  two  hundred  shekels  of 
silver,  and  gave  them  to  the  founder,  who  made  with  it  a carved  and  molten 
image;  and  it  was  in  the  house  of  Micah.  5And  the  man  Micah  had  a shrine, 
and  he  made  an  ephod  and  household  gods,°  and  installed15  one  of  his  sons 
who  became  his  priest.  6In  those  days  there  was  no  king  in  Israel ; every  one  did  as  he 
thought  was  right. 

7Now  there  was  a young  man  of  Bethlehem  in  Judah  of  the  family  of 
Judah,  who  was  a Levite;  and  he  was  residing  there.  8 And  the  man  departed 
from  the  city,  from  Bethlehem  in  Judah,  to  make  his  residence  in  whatever 
place  he  could  find;  and  as  he  journeyed,  he  came  to  the  hill-country  of 
Ephraim  to  the  house  of  Micah.  9And  Micah  said  to  him,  Whence  do  you 
come?  And  he  said  to  him,  I am  a Levite  from  Bethlehem  in  Judah,  and 
I am  travelling  to  find  a place  of  residence,  wherever  I may.  10And  Micah 
said  to  him,  Stay  with  me,  and  be  a father  and  a priest  to  me,  and  I will 
give  you  ten  shekels  of  silver  by  the  year,  and  a suit  of  clothes,  and  your 
living.  So  the  Levite  entered  into  an  agreement  1 1 to  dwell'1  with  the  man; 
and  the  young  man  was  to  him  as  one  of  his  sons.  12Thus  Micah  conse- 
crated the  Levite,  and  the  young  man  became  his  priest,  and  was  in  the  house 
of  Micah.  13Then  said  Micah,  Now  I know  that  Jehovah  will  prosper  me, 
since  I have  a Levite  as  my  priest. 

18  laIn  those  days  there  was  no  king  in  Israel.1, 

§ 131.  Establishment  of  the  Sanctuary  at  Dan,  Judg.  18lb'31 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  18  lbNow  in  those  days  the  tribe  of  the  Danites  sought  them  an  in- 
heritance in  which  to  dwell ; for  up  to  that  day  their  inheritance  had  not  fallen  to 
them  among  the  tribes  of  Israel.  2And  the  Danites  sent  five  men  of  their  clan 


residing  in  the  vicinity.  In  the  continuation  of  the  story,  18,  similar  variations  are  in  evidence. 
Some  scholars  have  sought  to  explain  them  as  due  to  interpolations  by  a later  hand.  It  is  per- 
haps simplest  to  regard  them  as  due  to  the  amalgamation  of  two  originally  distinct  versions  of 
the  story.  One  is  traceable  in  171-  2a-  3b-  4a-  5-  6-  8"lla>  12b-  13 ; the  other  in  172b-  3a-  4b-  7-  llb-12a. 
Neither  is  entirely  complete  alone;  both  have  been  so  perfectly  amalgamated  by  the  editor 
and  real  author  of  the  story  in  its  present  form,  and  the  variations  in  representation  are  so  un- 
important that  it  has  been  thought  best  not  to  attempt  to  indicate  the  analysis  typographically. 
The  whole  has  accordingly  been  classified  under  the  first  and  fuller  narrative,  which  appears 
to  be  from  the  Judean  source. 

n 173b  In  the  process  of  compilation  or  copying  this  half  verse  appears  to  have  been  removed 
from  its  original  position  after  2a. 

° 175  Heb.,  house  of  gods  and  made  an  ephod  and  teraphim.  The  ephod  here  appears  to  have 
been  an  idol  of  some  kind.  Cf.  § 145. 

p 175  Heb.,  filled  the  hand  of.  The  technical  expression,  used  only  of  the  installation  of 
priests.  Cf.  Lev.  8s3  and  I Kgs.  1333. 

q 1710b.  iia  Heb.,  went  in  and  the  Levite  agreed. 

r igia  The  editorial  formula  introduced  regularly  in  this  appendix  at  the  close  of  the  section 
to  which  it  relates.  Cf.  176,  2125.  In  the  Lat.  text  it  is  joined  to  18lb,  where  it  makes  a very 
awkward  repetition. 

§ 131  This  story  is  the  sequel  of  the  preceding.  Similar  traces  of  interpolation  or  more 
probably  the  amalgamation  of  two  distinct  versions  are  found.  Thus  there  are  two  concluding 
statements  regarding  the  length  of  the  time  that  the  sanctuary  of  Dan  was  in  existence,  30-  31. 

301 


Appoint- 
ment  of 
a young 
Levite 
as  his 
priest 


The 
Danite 
spies  at 
Micah’ 8 
sanctu- 
ary 


Favora- 
ble re- 
port of 
the  spies 


Depart- 
ure of 
the  Dan- 
ites 


Their 
seizure 
of  Mi- 
call’s 
idols 


Judg.  182]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

from  their  whole  number,  valiant  men  from  Zorah  and  from  Eshtaol,  to  ex- 
plore the  land,  and  to  examine  it;  and  they  said  to  them,  Go,  examine  the 
land.  And  they  came  to  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim,  to  the  house  of  Micah 
and  passed  the  night  there.  3And  when  they  were  near  the  house  of  Micah 
they  recognized  the  voice  of  the  young  man,  the  Levite;  so  they  turned  aside 
there,  and  said  to  him,  Who  brought  you  here?  and  what  are  you  doing 
in  this  place?  and  what  have  you  here?  4 And  he  said  to  them,  Thus 
and  so  Micah  has  done  to  me,  and  he  has  hired  me  and  I have  become 
his  priest.  5 And  they  said  to  him,  Inquire  of  God,  will  you,  that  we  may 
know  whether  or  not  our  undertaking  shall  be  successful.  6 And  the  priest 
said  to  them,  Go  in  peace:  your  undertaking  is  under  the  care  of  Jehovah. 

7Then  the  five  men  went  on  and  came  to  Laish  and  found  the  people,  who 
were  there,  dwelling  in  security  as  do  the  Sidonians,  quiet  and  unsuspicious 
of  danger  ;s  for  there  was  no  one  in  the  land  possessing  authority  to  restrain 
them  from  anything,  and  they  were  far  from  the  Sidonians  and  had  nothing 
to  do  with  any  one  else.*  8Then  they  came  to  their  kinsmen  at  Zorah  and 
Eshtaol,  and  their  kinsmen  said  to  them.  What  is  your  report  ? 9 And  they 
said,  Arise,  and  let  us  go  up  against  them ; we  have  seen  the  land,  and,  behold, 
it  is  very  good,  and  you  are  sitting  idle.  Do  not  delay  to  go  and  to  enter  in 
to  take  possession  of  the  land.  10When  you  go,  you  will  come  to  a people  who 
suspect  no  danger,  and  the  land  is  large;  for  God  hath  given  it  into  your 
power,  a place  where  there  is  no  want  of  anything  that  is  on  the  earth. 

15  So  there  set  forth  from  thence  of  the  clan  of  the  Danites,  from  Zorah  and 
Eshtaol,  six  hundred  men  girded  with  weapons  of  war.  12And  they  went 
up  and  encamped  near  Kiriath-jearim  in  Judah;  hence  they  call  that  place 
Mahaneh-dan  [Camp  of  Dan]  to  this  day;  it  is  west  of  Kiriath-jearim.  13And 
they  passed  on  from  there  to  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim,  and  came  to  the 
house  of  Micah. 

14Then  the  five  men  who  went  to  explore  the  country  of  Laish,  spoke  up 
and  said  to  their  kinsmen,  Do  you  know  that  there  is  in  these  houses  an 
ephod,  and  household  gods,  and  a carved  and  a molten  image?  Now  therefore 
decide  what  you  will  do.  15And  they  turned  aside  there  and  came  to  the 
house  of  the  young  man  the  Levite,  even  the  house  of  Micah,  and  greeted 
him.  16Meanwhile  the  six  hundred  men,  who  were  of  the  Danites,  girded 
with  their  weapons  of  war,  stood  by  the  entrance  of  the  gate.  17But  the  five 
men  who  had  gone  to  explore  the  land  went  up,  entered  in  there,  and  took 
the  carved  image,  and  the  ephod,  and  the  household  gods,  and  the  molten 


In  2-  7-10  there  are  repetitions  which  strongly  suggest  the  union  of  different  narratives.  In  13-21 
there  are  also  slight  variations  in  representation.  Guided  by  these  indications  and  those 
found  in  17  two  versions  can  be  distinguished:  (1)  18* 1-  2b-  d-  3c-  4b-6>  7b>  d*  8b*  9b*  10a•  12b'  ^ 17, 

29.  31.  (2)  182a.  c.  3a,  b.  4a.  7a,  e.  8a,  9a,  iob.  li,  i2a.  14-16,  i8a,  30_  While  each  is  consistent  with  itself, 
neither  is  complete.  Here  again  the  variations  are  so  unimportant  and  the  union  so  perfect 
that  it  seems  best  to  treat  the  story  as  a literary  unit. 

e 187a  The  tautology  is  probably  due  to  the  combination  of  two  closely  parallel  narratives. 

1 187b  An  exceedingly  difficult  passage  variously  interpreted  by  the  different  translations. 
The  RV  translation,  for  there  was  none  in  the  land , possessing  authority , that  might  put  them  to 
shame  in  anything , is  not  only  impossible  but  also  conveys  no  distinct  meaning.  A slight 
change  in  one  word  gives  the  intelligible  reading  suggested  above.  It  is,  however,  only  conject- 
ural. Vs. 10  calls  for  the  reading,  there  was  710  lack  of  anything  in  the  land.  The  versions  give 
no  assistance. 


302 


THE  SANCTUARY  OF  DAN 


[JUDG.  1817 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

image,  while  the  priest  stood  by  the  entrance  of  the  gate  with  the  six  hundred 
men  who  were  girded  with  weapons  of  war.  18And  when  these  went  into 
Micah’s  house,  and  took  the  carved  image,  the  ephod,  and  the  household 
gods,  and  the  molten  image,  the  priest  said  to  them,  What  are  you  doing? 

19And  they  said  to  him,  Be  still!  lay  your  hand  upon  your  mouth,  and  go 
with  us,  and  be  a father  and  a priest  to  us.  Is  it  better  for  you  to  be  priest 
to  one  man’s  household,  or  to  be  priest  to  a tribe  and  a clan  in  Israel  ? 20 And 
the  priest  was  glad,  and  he  took  the  ephod,  and  the  household  gods,  and  the 
carved  image  and  went  along  with  the  people.  21Then  they  turned  and  de- 
parted when  they  had  put  the  little  ones  and  the  cattle  and  the  goods  before 
them. 

22 After  they  had  gone  some  distance  from  the  house  of  Mieah,  the  men  Theirra- 
who  were  in  the  houses  near  Micah’s  house  gathered  together  and  overtook  ivifcah’s 
the  Danites.  23 And  when  they  shouted  to  the  Danites,  they  turned  about  protest 
and  said  to  Micah,  What  is  the  matter  with  you  that  you  are  out  with  such 
a crowd  ? 24 And  he  said,  You  have  taken  away  my  gods  which  I made,  and  the 
priest,  and  are  gone  away,  and  what  have  I left?  What  do  you  mean  by 
asking,  ‘What  is  the  matter  with  you?’  25 And  the  Danites  said  to  him,  Do 
not  let  your  voice  be  heard  among  us,  lest  some  fierce  fellows  fall  upon  you 
and  you  lose  your  life,  with  the  lives  of  your  household.  26Then  the  Danites 
went  on  their  way;  and,  since  Micah  saw  that  they  were  too  strong  for  him, 
he  turned  and  went  back  to  his  house. 

27Thus  they  took  that  which  Micah  had  made,  and  the  priest  whom  he  had,  Cagture 
and  came  to  Laish,  to  a people  living  in  unsuspecting  quiet,  and  put  them  to  and 
the  sword,  and  burnt  the  city  with  fire.  28And  there  was  no  one  to  give  any  ushment 
succor,  because  it  was  far  from  Sidon,  and  they  had  no  dealings  with  any  one  Danite 
else;  and  it  was  in  the  valley  which  belongs  to  Beth-rehob.  And  they  built  uary 
the  city  and  dwelt  in  it,  29and  called  the  name  of  the  city  Dan,  after  the  name 
of  Dan  their  ancestor,  who  was  bom  to  Israel. u But  the  earlier  name  of  the  city 
was  Laish.  30And  the  Danites  set  up  for  themselves  the  carved  image; 
and  Jonathan,  the  son  of  Gershom  the  son  of  Moses,  and  his  descendants 
were  priests  to  the  tribe  of  the  Danites  until  the  time  of  the  depopulation  of  the 
land.v  31So  they  set  up  Micah’s  graven  image  which  he  made,  as  long  as 
the  house  of  God  was  in  Shiloh. 

§ 132.  Crime  of  the  Gibeathites,  Judg.  19 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  19  1Now  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  when  there  was  no  king  in  Visitor 
Israel,  that  a certain  Levite,  sojourning  in  the  remote  parts  of  the  hill-  viteto 
country  of  Ephraim,  took  a concubine  from  Bethlehem  in  Judah.  2And  his  hem  to 

_ _ secure 

his  con- 

u ig29b  Probably  a later  explanatory  note.  cubine 

v ig^ob  Added  by  an  editor  who  lived  after  the  Assyrian  campaigns  of  736  and  722  b.c. 

§ 133  The  second  group  of  stories  in  the  Bethlehem  in  Judah  cycle  of  traditions  (cf.  Introd., 
pp.  27,  28)  likewise  records  events  which  must  belong  to  the  earlier  rather  than  the  later  part 
of  the  period  of  the  judges;  for  the  crime  of  the  Benjamites  has  evidently  long  since  been  con- 
doned and  the  tribe  has  had  time  to  recover  completely  from  the  judgment  which  overtook  it 
before  the  Israelites  elected  the  Benjamite  Saul  to  be  their  king.  The  Judean  point  of  view 

SOS 


His 

Journey 

toGib- 

eah 


Recep- 
tion at 
Gibeah 


Judg.  192]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

concubine  became  angry  with  him,w  and  went  away  from  him  to  her  father’s 
house  in  Bethlehem  in  Judah,  and  remained  there  four  months.  3Then  her 
husband  arose  and  went  after  her  to  speak  endearinglyx  to  her  in  order  to 
bring  her  back;  and  his  man-servant  was  with  him,  and  a couple  of  asses- 
and  she  brought  him  into  her  father’s  house.  When  the  girl’s  father  saw  him, 
he  was  glad  to  meet  him.  4And  his  father-in-law,  the  girl’s  father,  detained 
him,  and  he  stayed  with  him  three  days;  and  they  ate  and  drank,  and  lodged 
there.  5And  on  the  fourth  day  when  they  arose  early  in  the  morning  he 
rose  up  to  depart;  but  the  girl’s  father  said  to  his  son-in-law,  Refresh  your- 
self3 with  a piece  of  bread,  and  after  that  you  may  go  your  way.  6So  they 
sat  down  and  ate  and  drank,  both  of  them  together.  Then  the  girl’s  father 
said  to  the  man,  Consent  now  to  pass  the  night  and  be  merry.  7And  when 
the  man  rose  up  to  depart,  his  father-in-law  urged  him,  so  he  passed  the 
night  there  again.  8And  when  he  arose  early  in  the  morning  on  the  fifth  day 
to  go,  the  girl’s  father  said,  Refresh  yourself,3  I pray,  and  wait  until  late 
afternoon;  so  they  ate,  both  of  them.  9 And  when  the  man  arose  to  depart 
with  his  concubine  and  his  servant,  his  father-in-law,  the  girl’s  father,  said 
to  him,  Behold,  now  the  day  draws  toward  evening,  I pray  you  pass  the  night, 
behold,  the  day  is  declining,  lodge  here,  be  merry;  then  to-morrow  rise  early 
for  your  journey,  that  you  may  go  home. 

10But  the  man  was  not  willing  to  stay  for  the  night  and  rose  and  departed, 
and  came  to  a point  opposite  Jebus  (that  is  Jerusalem),  having  with  him 
a pair  of  asses  saddled  and  his  concubine.  1 'T  hey  were  near  Jebus,  when  the 
day  was  far  spent;  and  the  servant  said  to  his  master,  Come,  I pray,  and  let 
us  turn  aside  into  this  city  of  the  Jebusites,  and  pass  the  night  in  it.  12But 
his  master  said  to  him,  We  will  not  turn  aside  to  a city  of  foreigners,  who  are 
not  of  the  Israelites,  but  we  will  pass  on  to  Gibeah.  13And  he  said  to  his 
servant,  Come  and  let  us  draw  near  to  one  of  these  places,  and  lodge  in  Gib- 
eah, or  in  Ramah.  14So  they  continued  on  their  way,  and  the  sun  went  down 
as  they  were  near  Gibeah,  which  belongs  to  Benjamin. 

15And  they  turned  aside  there,  to  go  in  to  pass  the  night  in  Gibeah;  and 
he  went  in  and  sat  down  in  the  market-place  of  the  city;  but  no  one  would 
receive  him  into  his  house  to  lodge.  16But  just  then  an  old  man  was  coming 
from  his  work  in  the  field  at  evening.  Now  the  man  was  from  the  hill-country  of 


is  prominent  in  19.  Cherished  as  it  probably  was  in  Bethlehem,  it  seems  to  reflect  something 
of  the  old  rivalry  between  the  house  of  David  and  that  of  Saul  of  Gibeah.  Hosea’s  obscure 
references  in  99  and  109  were  probably  to  this  event,  indicating  that  the  Ephraimites  also  were 
familiar  with  the  tradition. 

The  repetitions  and  slight  variations  in  19  *15  are  perhaps  due  to  interpolations  from  a 
northern  Israelitish  parallel.  A satisfactory  analysis,  however,  is  impossible;  explanatory 
notes  are  found  in  10-  16 ; but  otherwise,  aside  from  the  possible  interpolations  referred  to,  the 
chapter  seems  to  have  received  little  editorial  revision. 

The  story  shares  certain  elements  in  common  with  the  tradition  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom. 
Gen.  18,  § 20,  and  with  the  account  of  Saul’s  bloody  challenge  of  the  Hebrews  to  follow  him 
against  the  Ammonites,  I Sam.  llf>-8.  The  crime  was  one  of  the  few  which  at  once  aroused  the 
moral  sense  of  the  primitive  Semites,  as  the  rigors  of  the  penalties  imposed  by  their  laws  testify. 
Horrible  though  the  story  is  it  probably  embodies  some  historical  facts,  and  marks  the  begin- 
nings of  popular  ethical  standards. 

w 192  Heb.,  played  the  harlot.  Oldest  Gk.,  became  angry.  This  meaning  accords  best  with 
the  context. 

1 193  Heb.,  Spoke  to  the  heart  of. 

* 195-  8 Heb.,  Strengthen  your  heart. 


304 


CRIME  OF  THE  GIBEATHITES  [Judg.  1916 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Ephraim,  and  was  an  alien  residing  in  Gibeah  ; but  the  men  of  the  place  were  Benjamitea. 
17 And  when  he  looked  and  saw  the  traveller  in  the  market-place  of  the  city, 
the  old  man  said,  Where  are  you  going  ? and  whence  have  you  come  ? 18And 
he  said  to  him,  We  are  passing  from  Bethlehem  in  Judah  to  the  remote 
parts  of  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim;  I came  from  there,  and  went  to  Beth- 
lehem in  Judah;  and  now  I am  going  to  my  home ;b  and  no  one  receives  me 
into  his  house.  19Yet  there  is  both  straw  and  fodder  for  our  asses;  and  there 
is  bread  and  wine  also  for  me  and  your  maid-servant,  and  for  the  young  man 
who  is  with  your  servants;  there  is  no  lack  of  anything.  20Then  the  old 
man  said.  Peace  be  to  you:  let  me  be  responsible  for  all  your  needs;0  only 
do  not  pass  the  night  in  the  market-place.  21So  he  brought  them  into  his 
house,  and  gave  the  asses  fodder;  and  they  washed  their  feet  and  ate  and 
drank. 

22As  they  were  making  merry,  behold,  the  men  of  the  city,  base  scoundrels, 
surrounded  the  house,  beating  violently  on  the  door,  and  said  to  the  old  man, 
the  master  of  the  house,  Bring  out  the  man  who  came  into  your  house,  that 
we  may  know  him.  23 And  the  man,  the  master  of  the  house,  went  out  to 
them,  and  said  to  them,  No,  my  kinsmen,  I pray  you,  do  not  be  so  wicked; 
since  this  man  has  come  into  my  house,  do  not  commit  this  wanton  crime. 
24Behold,  here  is  my  daughter  a virgin,  and  his  concubine;  let  me  now 
bring  them  out,  and  you  may  ravish  them,  and  do  with  them  whatever  you 
please;  but  against  this  man  do  not  commit  this  wanton  crime.  25But  the  men 
would  not  hearken  to  him;  so  the  man  laid  hold  of  his  concubine,  and 
brought  her  out  to  them  in  the  street;  and  they  knew  her,  and  abused  her  all 
night  until  the  morning;  and  they  let  her  go  at  the  coming  of  the  dawn. 
26Then  the  woman  came,  when  the  morning  appeared,  and  lay  prostrate  at 
the  door  of  the  man’s  house  where  her  master  was,  until  daylight. 

27 And  when  her  master  arose  in  the  morning,  and  opened  the  door  of  the 
house,  and  went  out  to  go  on  his  way,  there  was  the  woman,  his  concubine, 
lying  at  the  door  of  the  house,  with  her  hands  on  the  sill.  28And  he  said 
to  her,  Get  up,  and  let  us  be  going;  but  there  was  no  answer;  then  he  put  her 
upon  the  ass,  and  the  man  rose  up  to  go  to  his  home.  29 And  when  he  came 
to  his  house,  he  took  a knife,  and  laid  hold  on  his  concubine,  and  cut  her  up 
limb  by  limb,  into  twelve  pieces,  and  sent  them  throughout  all  the  territory 
of  Israel.  30And  he  commanded  the  men  whom  he  sent  out,  Thus  shall  you 
say  to  all  the  men  of  Israel:  ‘Did  ever  a thing  like  this  happen  from  the 
time  that  the  Israelites  came  up  from  Egypt  to  this  day?’  And  it  was  so, 
that  all  who  saw  it  said,  Such  a thing  as  this  has  not  happened  nor  been  seen 
from  the  day  that  the  Israelites  came  up  from  the  land  of  Egypt  to  this  day. 
Then  the  men  said,  Consider  it,  take  counsel,  and  speak. d 


b 1918  Heb.,  to  the  house  of  Jehovah,  i.  e.}  Shiloh.  Gk.  as  above.  The  latter  is  in  accord  with 
the  context.  Cf.  h The  Levite’s  home  appears  not  to  have  been  at  Shiloh,  but  in  the  remote 
parts  of  Ephraim. 

c 1920  Heb.,  only  all  your  needs  upon  me. 

d 1930  Following  an  old  Gk.  reading  which  has  apparently  preserved  the  original  text. 


The  rav 
ishing  ot 
his  con- 
cubine 
by  the 
Gibeath- 
ites 


His  re- 
turn and 
an- 
nounce- 
ment of 
the 
crime 


305 


Judg.  20la]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN  [Jddg.  20lb 


Assem- 
bly of 
the  Isra- 
elites to 
hear  the 
Levite’s 
story 


§ 133.  Punishment  of  the  Crime  of  the  Gibeathites,  Judg.  20,  21 


Early  Judean  Pro- 
phetic 

Ju  dg  .20 1 a 'cThen 
all  the  Israelites 
went  out,  to  Jeho- 
vah at  Mizpah. 
3bAnd  the  Israel- 
ites said,  Tell  us, 
how  did  this  wick- 
edness happen  ? 
4And  the  Levite, 
the  husband  of  the 
murdered  woman, 
answered  and  said, 
I came  into  Gib- 
eah  which  belongs 
to  Benjamin,  to- 
gether with  m y 
concubine  to  pass 
the  night.  5And 
the  citizens  of 
Gibeah  attacked 


, Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

20  lbThen  the  congregation  assembled  as  one  man, 
from  Dan  even  to  Beersheba,  with  the  land  of  Gilead. 
2And  the  chiefs  of  all  the  people,  together  with  all  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  presented  themselves  in  the  assembly 
of  the  people  of  God,  four  hundred  thousand  footmen 
who  drew  sword.  8bAs  one  man  they  said.  We  will 
none  of  us  return  to  his  house.  9But  now  this  is  what 
we  will  do  to  Gibeah:  we  will  go  upe  against  it  by  lot; 
10and  we  will  take  ten  men  from  each  hundred  through- 
out all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and  a hundred  from  each 
thousand,  and  a thousand  from  each  ten  thousand,  to 
| supply  provisions  for  the  people,  that  they  may  do,  when 
they  come  to  Gibeah  of  Benjamin,  exactly  as  the  wanton 
crime  deserves,  which  they  have  committed  in  Israel. 
11So  all  the  men  of  Israel  were  gathered  against  the  city 
allied  together  as  one  man. 

12Then  the  tribes  of  Israel  sent  men  through  all  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin,  saying.  What  wickedness  is  this 
which  has  been  committed  among  you?  13Now  there- 
fore give  up  the  base  scoundrels  who  are  in  Gibeah, 
that  we  may  put  them  to  death,  and  so  root  outf  the 


§ 133  The  exaggerated  number  and  the  glaring  improbabilities  in  these  chapters  have  led 
many  scholars  to  regard  them  as  entirely  unhistorical.  Certainly  their  representation  that  the 
Israelites  were  able  to  muster  400,000  and  the  Benjamites  26,000  men  is  entirely  out  of  keep- 
ing with  the  data  found  elsewhere  in  the  oldest  traditions.  Even  in  the  mortal  struggle  with 
the  Canaanites  on  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  they  had  but  40,000.  The  representation  that  all  the 
tribes  rallied  as  one  man  is  also  absolutely  unprecedented  in  this  early  period.  The  statement 
that  the  Israelites  lost  40,000  men  in  the  first  two  days’  fighting  and  the  Benjamites  none,  and 
that  on  the  third  day  the  Benjamites  were  all  but  completely  annihilated,  sounds  like  a late 
Jewish  tale,  rather  than  history.  As  is  frequently  the  case,  the  critical  analysis  of  the  chapters 
reveals  the  historical  substratum  of  the  tradition. 

Two  distinct  versions  can  be  traced.  The  one  is  free  from  superlative  exaggerations  and 
is  clearly  the  sequel  of  the  sober  narrative  of  19.  It  represents  the  Israelites  as  gathering 
at  Mizpah  to  hear  the  charge  of  the  Levite.  From  there  they  march  the  next  day  against 
Mizpah,  which  is  defended  by  the  Benjamite  tribesmen  of  the  Gibeathites.  By  means  of  a 
familiar  strategy,  which  figures  in  many  of  the  primitive  stories,  they  draw  out  the  Benjamites 
in  pursuit,  and  then  the  men  in  ambush  rise  and  enter  the  city.  Their  retreat  being  cut  off, 
the  Benjamites  flee  toward  the  wilderness,  where  600  find  a refuge  at  the  rock  of  Rimmon. 
Afterwards  relenting,  because  of  the  severity  of  the  judgment  that  had  overtaken  the  Ben- 
jamites, the  Israelites  allow  them  to  capture  wives  for  themselves  from  the  maidens  of  Shiloh. 

While  parallel,  the  representation  in  the  remaining  passages  is  fundamentally  different. 
The  story  is  told  throughout  from  the  point  of  view  of  late  priestly  Judaism.  The  assembled 
tribes  are  called  the  congregation.  The  rally  of  all  the  tribes  is  a solemn  religious  assembly. 
The  old  tradition  of  an  ambush  is  retained,  but  the  outcome  of  the  different  battles  depends 
entirely  upon  the  arbitrary  divine  decree.  Fasting  and  sacrifice  take  the  place  of  the  sword. 
Phinehas  the  son  of  Aaron  stands  at  the  head  of  the  people,  as  did  the  high  priest  in  the  post- 
exilic  community.  The  enormous  numbers  involved  in  the  contest  are  precisely  similar  to  those 
found  in  the  late  books  of  Chrs.,  where  the  original  numbers  in  Kgs.  are  often  multiplied  by 
ten.  The  wives  for  the  surviving  Benjamites  are  secured  from  the  city  of  Jabesh  in  Gilead;  this 
element  in  the  late  tradition  seems  to  be  based  on  the  memory  of  the  fact  that  this  city  remained 
loyal  to  Saul  of  Gibeah  after  his  death  on  Gilboah,  I Sam.  3111'13.  It  is  perfectly  obvious  that 
these  passages  belong  to  the  very  latest  stratum  of  Judg. 

If  in  certain  places  the  representation  is  not  clear,  the  confusion  is  due  to  the  late  origin  of 
the  story  and  to  the  fact  that  it  has  been  grafted  on  to  the  older  version.  Some  also  find  in  20, 
21  traces  of  still  a third  version,  which  they  classify  as  the  Northern  Israelite.  Either  this  is 
the  case,  or  else  the  editor  who  combined  the  older  with  the  late  parallel  has  introduced  several 
repetitions  and  harmonistic  notes. 

6 209  So  Gk.  The  clause,  We  will  go  up,  has  been  lost  from  the  Heb. 

4 2013  Heb.,  burn  out. 

30  6 


Assem- 
bly of 
the  Isra« 
elites  to 
avenge 
the 
crime 


Refusal 
of  the 
Ben  j am* 
ites  to 
deliver 
up  the 
culprits 


Judg.  205]  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  GIBEATHITES  [Judg.  2013 


Early  Judean  Pro- 
phetic 

me,  and  surround- 
ed the  house  where 
I was  by  night ; me 
they  intended  to 
kill,  and  my  con- 
cubine they  ravish- 
ed , so  that  she  died . 
6Then  I took  my 
concubine  and  cut 
her  in  pieces,  and 
sent  her  through- 
out all  the  country 
of  the  inheritance  of 
Israel ; for  they 
have  committed 
wanton,  disgrace- 
ful crime  in  Israel. 
7Now  all  you  Is- 
raelites, give  your 
advice  and  coun- 
sel here. 

Prepara-  8aThen  all  the 

tions  for 

the  war  people  arose,  say- 
ing,  None  of  us 
will  go  to  his  home 
until  we  have 
avenged  this  crime. 
3aAnd  the  Benjam- 
ites  heard  that  the 
Israelites  had  gone 
up  to  Mizpah. 
14And  the  Benjam- 
ites  assembled 
from  the  cities  at 
Gibeah,  to  go  out 
to  fight  against  the 
Israelites. 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

evil  from  Israel.  But  the  Benjamites  would  not 
hearken  to  the  voice  of  their  kinsmen  the  Israelites. 
15And  the  Benjamites  mustered  on  that  day  from  the 
cities  twenty-six  thousand  men  who  drew  sword,  be- 
sides the  inhabitants  of  Gibeah,  who  numbered  seven 
hundred  chosen  men.  16Among  all  this  people  there 
were  seven  hundred  left-handed  men;  every  one  could 
sling  stones  to  a hair-breadth,  and  not  miss. 

17And  the  men  of  Israel,  not  including  Benjamin, 
mustered  four  hundred  thousand  men  who  drew  sword; 
all  these  were  warriors.  18Then  the  Israelites  arose, 
and  went  up  to  Bethel,  and  inquired  of  God;  and  they 
said,  Who  shall  go  up  for  us  first  to  battle  against  the 
Benjamites?  And  Jehovah  said,  Judah  first.  20So 
the  men  of  Israel  went  out  to  battle  against  Benjamin; 
and  the  men  of  Israel  formed  the  line  of  battle  against 
them  before  Gibeah.  21And  the  Benjamites  came 
forth  from  Gibeah,  and  they  left  the  slain  on  the  field 
that  day  twenty-two  thousand  men  of  the  Israelites. 
22But  the  people,  the  men  of  Israel,  took  courage  and 
again  formed  the  line  of  battle  in  the  place  where  they 
had  formed  it  the  first  day.  23And  the  Israelites  went 
up  and  wept  before  Jehovah  until  evening;  and  they 
inquired  of  Jehovah,  saying,  Shall  weg  again  advance 
to  battle  against  the  Benjamites  our  kinsmen?  And 
Jehovah  said,  Go  up  against  them. 

24Then  the  Israelites  advanced  against  the  Benjamites 
the  second  day.  25And  Benjamin  went  forth  against 
them  from  Gibeah  the  second  day,  and  left  slain  on 
the  field  from  the  Israelites  again  eighteen  thousand 
men;  all  these  were  warriors.  26  Then  all  the  Israelites, 
even  all  the  people,  went  up  and  came  to  Bethel  and 
wept  and  sat  there  before  Jehovah,  and  fasted  that  day 
until  evening;  and  they  offered  burnt-offerings  and 
peace-offerings  before  Jehovah.  27And  the  Israelites 
inquired  of  Jehovah,  (for  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  God 
was  there  in  those  days,  28and  Phinehas,  the  son  of 
Eleazar,  the  son  of  Aaron,  stood  before  it  in  those  days), 
saying,  Shall  weg  once  more  go  out  to  battle  against  the 
Benjamites  our  kinsmen,  or  shall  we  leave  off?  And 
Jehovah  said,  Go  up;  for  to-morrow  I will  deliver  them 
into  your  power. 


19Then  the  Israelites  rose  up  the  next 
day,  and  encamped  against  Gibeah. 


30So  the  Israelites  went  up  against 
the  Benjamites  on  the  third  day,  and 


The  first 
battle 


The  sec- 
ond bat- 
tle 


g 2023'  28  Heb.  has  singular,  but  Gk.  plural,  as  context  requires. 

307 


Judg.  2029]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN  [Judg.  2039 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 
Defeat  29 And  Israel  set  an  ambush  against 
slau^h-  Gibeah  on  all  sides.  31bAnd  [the 
Benjam-  Benjamites]  began  to  smite  some  of 
the  people,  as  at  other  times,  in  the 
open  country,  along  the  highways,  of 
which  one  goes  up  to  Bethel,  and  the 
other  to  Gibeah — about  thirty  men  of 
Israel.  32And  the  Benjamites  said, 
They  are  being  defeated  before  us, 
as  they  were  the  first  time.  But  the  Is- 
raelites said.  Let  us  flee,  and  draw 
them  away  from  the  city  to  the  high- 
ways. 36bSo  the  men  of  Israel  yielded 
ground  to  Benjamin,  because  they 
trusted  to  the  men  in  ambush  which 
they  had  set  against  Gibeah.  37aThen 
the  men  in  ambush  rushed  quickly 
upon  Gibeah.  38Now  the  appointed 
sign  between  the  men  of  Israel  and 
the  men  in  ambush  was,  that  they 
should  make  a great  cloud  of  smoke 
rise  up  out  of  the  city.  39So  the  men 
of  Israel  turned  in  the  battle,  and 
Benjamin  began  to  smite  and  kill  of  the 
men  of  Israel  about  thirty  persons ; for 
they  said,  Surely  they  are  being  defeated 
before  us  as  in  the  first  battle.  4,1  And 
just  then  the  cloud  began  to  rise 
out  of  the  city  in  a pillar  of  smoke 
and  the  Benjamites  looked  behind 
them,  and  saw  the  whole  city  going 
up  in  flames  toward  heaven.  41Then 
the  men  of  Israel  turned,  and  the  men 
of  Benjamin  were  dismayed;  for  they 
saw  that  disaster  had  overtaken  them. 
42aTherefore  they  turned  their  backs 
before  the  men  of  Israel  toward  the  ! 
wilderness;  but  the  battle  followed 
close  after  them;  47six  hundred  men 
turned,  however,  and  fled  toward  the 


V ery  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

formed  the  line  of  battle  against 
Gibeah  as  at  other  times.  31aAnd 
when  the  Benjamites  went  out 
against  the  people,  they  were  drawn 
away  from  the  city.  33Then  all  the 
men  of  Israel  rose  up  out  of  their 
place,  and  formed  the  line  of  battle 
at  Baal-tamar,  while  the  men  in  am- 
bush of  Israel  burst  forth  from  their 
position  west  of  Gibeah. h 34And 
ten  thousand  men  chosen  from  all 
Israel  came  to  a point  opposite 
Gibeah,  and  the  battle  was  severe; 
but  they  did  not  know  that  disaster 
was  overtaking  them.  35 And  Jehovah 
smote  Benjamin  before  Israel;  and 
the  Israelites  destroyed  of  Benjamin 
that  day  twenty-five  thousand,  one 
hundred  men ; all  these  were  warriors. 
36aSo  the  Benjamites  saw  that  they  were 
defeated.  37bAnd  the  men  in  ambush 
marched  out  and  put  the  entire  city 
to  the  sword.  42bAnd  those  who 
came  out  of  the  cities1  they  destroyed 
in  the  midst.  43They  cut  the  Benjam- 
ites in  pieces,  chased  them,!  trod  them 
down  at  their  resting-place,15  to  a point 
opposite  Gibeah  on  the  east.  ^And 
there  fell  of  Benjamin  eighteen 
thousand  men;  all  these  were  valiant 
warriors.  45And  they  turned  and 
fled  toward  the  wilderness  to  the 
Cliff  of  Rimmon;  and  they  gleaned  of 
them  in  the  highways  five  thousand 
men,  and  pursued  closely  after  them 
to  Gidom  and  slew  of  them  two 
thousand  men.  46So  that  all  who 
fell  that  day  of  Benjamin  were 
twenty-five  thousand  men  who  drew 


h 2033  Heb.,  Maareh-geba.  Many  old  Gk.  texts  and  Lat.  have  west  of  Gibeah.  A slight 
change  in  the  Heb.  gives  the  same  intelligible  reading. 

i 2042b  Heb.  text  obscure.  The  Lat.  has  city.  This  would  then  refer  to  Gibeah  and  those 
coming  would  be  Israelites,  who  thus  shut  in  the  fleeing  Benjamites  between  themselves  and 
the  main  Hebrew  army. 

i 2013  This  verse  is  obscure  and  is  variously  interpreted  by  the  different  versions.  The 
peculiar  form  of  the  second  and  third  clauses  indicates  that  they  are  later  additions.  The  Gk. 
reads,  they  cut  in  pieces  in  the  first  clause  instead  of,  Hebrew,  they  inclosed.  This  is  supported 
by  the  Lat.  A change  of  one  letter  gives  the  same  intelligible  meaning, 
k 2043b  Syr.,  with  ease.  Heb.  word  unusual  and  doubtful. 

308 


Judg.  2047]  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  GIBEATHITES  [Jcdg.  2046 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

wilderness  to  the  Cliff  of  Rimmon, 
and  abode  in  the  Cliff  of  Rimmon 
four  months.  48Then  the  men  of  Is- 
rael turned  again  upon  the  Benjam- 
ites,  and  put  them  to  the  sword,  both 
the  entire  city  and  the  cattle,  even  all 
that  they  found;  moreover  all  the 
cities  which  they  found  they  set  on 
fire. 

21  iNow  the  men  of  Israel 
had  sworn  in  Mizpah,  saying, 

None  of  us  shall  give  his 
daughter  in  marriage  to  a Ben- 
jamite.  15But  the  people  were 
sorry  for  Benjamin,  because 
Jehovah  had  made  a breach  in 
the  tribes  of  Israel.  1BThen  the 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 
the  sword;  all  these  were  valiant 


warriors. 


elders  of  the  congregation  said, 
What  shall  we  do  for  wives  for  them 
who  remain,1  since  the  women 
of  Benjamin  are  exterminated  ? 
17 And  they  said,  Those  who 
have  escaped  of  Benjamin 
must  have  heirs11  that  a tribe 
may  not  be  blotted  out  from 
Israel.  18And  yet  we  cannot 
give  them  wives  from  our 
daughters;  for  the  Israelites 
have  sworn,  ‘Cursed  be  he 
who  gives  a wife  to  a Benjam- 
ite.’  19Then  they  said,  Behold, 
there  is  a feast  of  Jehovah  year  by 
year  in  Shiloh,  which  is  on  the 
north  of  Bethel,  on  the  east  side  of 
the  highway  which  goes  up  from 
Bethel  to  Shechem,  and  on  the 
south  of  Lebanon.0  20So  they 
bade  the  Benjamites,  Go  and 
lie  in  wait  in  the  vineyards, 
21and  watch,  and  when  the 
daughters  of  Shiloh  come 
out  to  dance  in  the  dances, 


21  2Then  the  people  came  to  Bethel,  and 
sat  there  until  evening  before  God,  and 
wept  loudly  and  bitterly.  3And  they  said, 
O Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel, why  has  this 
happened  to  Israel,  that  there  should  be  to- 
day one  tribe  lacking  in  Israel  ? 4And  it 
came  to  pass  on  the  following  day,  that  the 
people  rose  early,  and  built  there  an  altar, 
and  offered  burnt-offerings  and  peace- 
offerings.  5 * And  the  Israelites  said,  Who  is 
there  among  all  the  tribes  of  Israel  that  did 
not  come  up  in  the  assembly  to  Jehovah? 
For  they  had  sworn  a great  oath  concerning  anyone 
who  did  not  come  up  to  Jehovah  at  Mizpah,  saying, 
He  shall  surely  be  put  to  death. m 8 And  the 
Israelites  were  sorry  for  Benjamin  their 
brother,  and  said,  There  is  one  tribe  cut 
off  from  Israel  to-day.  7 *What  shall  we  do 
for  wives  for  them  who  remain,  since  we 
have  sworn  by  Jehovah  that  we  will  not 
give  them  our  daughters  in  marriage. 
8And  they  said,  What  one  is  there  of  the 
tribes  of  Israel  that  did  not  come  up  to 
Jehovah  at  Mizpah?  And,  behold,  none 
had  come  to  the  camp  from  Jabesh-gilead 
to  the  assembly.  9For  when  the  people 
were  numbered,  there  were  none  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Jabesh-gilead  there.  10So  the 
congregation  sent  thither  twelve  thousand 
men  from  the  most  valiant,  and  commanded 
them,  Go  and  put  the  inhabitants  of  Jabesh- 


Th„ 
need  of 
wives 
for  the 
surviv- 
ing Ben- 
j amites 


Meas- 
ures 
adopted 
to  pro- 
vide 
them 
wives 


l 2116a  Apparently  added  by  the  editor  to  harmonize  the  two  versions.  Vs. 16b  is  the  natural 

conclusion  of  15. 

m 215b  jn  the  later  version  Bethel  or  Shiloh  is  the  place  of  assembly.  This  explanatory  note 

is  evidently  from  the  editor,  who  combined  the  two  accounts  and  here  followed  the  other  version. 

Cf.  20\  2V. 

n 2117  Heb.,  An  inheritance  of  the  escaped  of  Benjamin. 

° 2119  An  explanatory  note  added  here  by  the  editor,  or  else  it  originally  followed  20b  and  was 

a part  of  the  address  to  the  Benjamitea 


309 


Death  of 
Naomi’s 
husband 
and  cwo 
sons  in 
Moab 


Judg.  2121]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN  [Judg.  2110 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

go  out  of  the  vineyards,  and 
each  of  you  catch  his  wife 
from  the  daughters  of  Shi- 
loh. Then  return  to  the 
land  of  Benjamin.  22 And 
when  their  fathers  or  their 
kinsmen  come  to  complain 
to  us,  we  will  say  to  them,  Be 
indulgent  to  them,  for  none 
of  them  has  taken  his  wife  in 
battlep  and  you  have  not  given 
them  to  them;  else  would  you 
now  be  guilty/1  23And  the 
Benjamites  did  so,  and  took 
them  wives  equal  to  their  own 
number,  from  the  dancers 
whom  they  carried  off;  and 
they  went  back  again  to  their 
inheritance,  and  built  the 
cities  and  dwelt  in  them.  25In 
those  days  there  was  no  king  in  Is- 
rael ; every  man  did  as  he  thought 
was  right. 


Very  Late  Priestly  Narratives 

gilead  to  the  sword,  with  the  women  and  the 
little  ones.  1 1 And  this  is  what  you  shall  do 
you  shall  completely  destroy  every  male,  and 
every  woman  who  has  entered  into  marriage 
relations  with  a man.  12And  they  found 
among  the  inhabitants  of  Jabesh-gilead 
four  hundred  young  virgins,  that  had  not 
entered  into  marriage  relations  with  a man; 
and  they  brought  them  to  the  camp  in 
Shiloh,  which  is  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

13And  the  whole  congregation  sent  word 
to  the  Benjamites  who  were  in  the  Cliff  of 
Rimmon,  and  proclaimed  peace  to  them. 
14 And  the  Benjamites  returned  at  that  time; 
and  they  gave  them  the  women  whom  they 
had  saved  alive  from  the  women  of  Jabesh- 
gilead.1'  24And  the  Israelites  departed  from 
there  at  that  time,  every  man  to  his  tribe  and 
to  his  family,  and  they  went  out  from  there 
every  man  to  his  inheritance. 


§ 134.  Devotion  of  Ruth  the  Moabitess,  Ruth  1-4 

Bethlehem  Cycle  of  Stories 

Ruth  1 1Now,  in  the  days  when  the  judges  ruled,  there  was  a famine 
in  the  land.  And  a certain  man  of  Bethlehem  in  Judah  went  to  reside 
temporarily  in  the  country  of  Moab,  together  with  his  wife  and  two  sons. 
2And  the  name  of  the  man  was  Elimelech,  and  the  name  of  his  wife  Naomi, 
and  the  name  of  his  two  sons  Mahlon  and  Chilion,  Ephrathites  of  Bethle- 
hem in  Judah.  And  when  they  had  come  into  the  country  of  Moab,  and 


p 212211  Heb.  text  is  badly  confused,  we  will  say  to  them , Be  indulgent  to  us,  for  we  did  not  take 
from  each  man  his  wife  in  battle.  The  above  reading  is  found  in  many  Gk.  texts.  Others 
have,  Be  indulgent  to  them  that  they  took  each  his  wife  by  war. 

« 21— b Or  possibly,  for  had  you  given  them  to  them,  you  would  be  guilty, 
t 2114b  Heb.  adds,  but  they  were  not  enough  for  them.  This  is  evidently  a harmonistic  note 
intended  to  join  together  the  two  parallel  accounts. 

§134  Like  the  stories  in  the  appendix  to  Judg.  (18-21),  the  book  of  Ruth  stands  apart  from 
the  other  narratives  in  the  first  twelve  books  of  the  O.T.  It  is  never  referred  to  in  the  other 
books  and  contains  no  references  to  their  contents.  Its  general  character,  contents,  and  many 
characteristic  phrases  link  it,  however,  with  the  Judean  prophetic  group  of  narratives.  The 
appreciation  which  the  Judean  narrators  show  for  the  simple,  dramatic  beauty  of  a story  and  a 
breadth,  which  did  not  deter  them  from  including  many  tales,  repugnant  to  the  narrower  or- 
thodoxy of  a later  age  (cf.  Introd.,  p.  31),  are  again  illustrated  in  this  fascinating  tale  of  a mar- 
riage between  a Hebrew  and  a Moabitess.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  with  certain  recent  writers 
that  this  exquisite  story  came  primarily  from  exilic  or  post-exilic  Judaism  and  was  written 
with  the  polemical  aim  of  combating  that  exclusive  attitude  toward  foreigners  which  became 
dominant  from  the  days  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  onward. 

It  may  well  have  been  later  adapted  and  utilized  for  that  purpose.  There  are  also  indica- 
tions which  strongly  suggest  that  in  its  present  form  the  story  is  from  a post-exilic  writer.  The 
opening  words,  In  the  days  when  the  judges  ruled,  imply  at  least  the  point  of  view  of  the  late 
prophetic  editors  of  Judg.  The  period  has  evidently  been  idealized,  so  that  the  characters 
in  the  story  act  very  differently  from  those  in  the  grim  tales  of  bloodshed  found  in  Judg.  The 
antiquarian  interest  in  a custom  which  is  regarded  as  so  primitive  that  it  requires  explanation, 

310 


THE  DEVOTION  OF  RUTH 


[Ruth  l2 


Bethlehem  Cycle  of  Stories 

remained  there  some  time,  3Elimelech,  Naomi’s  husband,  died.  Thus  she  was 
left  with  her  two  sons.  4And  they  married  Moabitish  women;  the  name 
of  the  one  was  Orpah,  and  the  name  of  the  other  Ruth.  Now  when  they 
had  dwelt  there  about  ten  years,  5 *Mahlon  and  Chilion  both  died.  So  the 
woman  was  left  bereaved  of  her  two  children  and  of  her  husband. 

6Then  she  arose  with  her  daughters-in-law,  that  she  might  return  from  Herde- 
the  country  of  Moab;  for  she  had  heard  in  the  country  of  Moab  how  Jehovah  tion  to 
had  visited  his  people  in  giving  them  bread.  7And  she  went  forth  from  the  juda!it0 
place  where  she  was,  and  her  two  daughters-in-law  with  her.  As  they  were 
setting  out  on  the  journey  to  return  to  the  land  of  Judah,  8 * *Naomi  said  to  her 
two  daughters-in-law,  Go,  return  each  of  you  to  her  mother’s  house.  May 
Jehovah  deal  kindly  with  you,  as  you  have  dealt  with  the  dead  and  with  me. 
eJehovah  grant  that  you  may  find  a place  of  rest,  each  of  you  in  the  house  of 
her  husband.  Then  she  kissed  them.  But  they  began  to  weep  loudly, 

10and  said  to  her,  Nay,  rather  we  will  return  with  you  to  your  people.  nBut 
Naomi  said,  Turn  back,  my  daughters;  why  should  you  go  with  me?  Have 
I yet  sons  in  my  womb  who  might  become  your  husbands?  12Turn  back, 
my  daughters,  go  your  way;  for  I am  too  old  to  have  a husband.  Though 
I should  say,  I have  hope,  if  I should  even  have  a husband  to-night,  and 
should  also  bear  sons,  13would  you  on  that  account  wait  until  they  were  grown 
up?  would  you  on  that  account  debar  yourselves  from  having  husbands? 

Nay,  my  daughters!  for  I am  deeply  grieved  for  your  sakes,  for  Jehovah  has 
sent  adversity  upon  me.3  14Then  they  again  wept  loudly,  and  Orpah  kissed 
her  mother-in-law,  but  Ruth  clung  to  her. 

15And  she  said,  See,  your  sister-in-law  is  going  back  to  her  people,  and  to  Ruth’s 
her  gods;  follow  after  your  sister-in-law.  16But  Ruth  said,  Entreat  me  not  toac- 
to  leave  you,  to  turn  back  from  following  you;  for  whither  you  go.  I will  go;  nyntfao- 
and  wherever  you  live,  I will  live;  your  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  your  1111 
God  my  God;  17wherever  you  die,  I will  die,  and  there  will  I be  buried; 
Jehovah  do  so  to  me,  and  more  also,1  if  anything  but  death  part  you  and  me. 


47-  8,  like  the  genealogy  in  418  22,  points  to  a late  date.  There  are  also  half  a dozen  peculiar  ex- 

pressions and  Aramaisms  which  occur  elsewhere  only  in  the  late  O.T.  books. 

A post-exilic  date  for  the  origin  of  the  story  fails,  however,  to  explain  the  unique  simplicity, 
beauty  and  purity  of  its  style,  which  are  not  paralleled  in  any  other  product  of  that  later 
period.  Rather  these  characteristics,  which  after  all  are  the  more  prominent,  bind  it  to  the 
Judean  narratives  in  the  Pentateuch,  Judg.  and  Sam.,  Kgs.  Attention  has  already  been  called 
to  the  significant  fact  that  the  story  of  Ruth,  together  with  those  m the  appendix  to  Judg., 
is  closely  associated  with  Bethlehem  in  Judah  (Introd.,  pp.  27,28).  These  various  facts  would 
seem  to  suggest  that  the  original  story  is  certainly  older  than  the  exile,  that  it  was  probably 
treasured  from  an  early  period  in  oral  form  at  the  birthplace  and  early  home  of  David,  that  for 
some  unknown  reason,  like  the  companion  stories  in  Judg.,  it  was  not  included  in  the  original 
prophetic  collections  of  Israel’s  traditions,  although  it  appears  to  have  been  committed  to  writ- 
ing in  an  earlier  and  simpler  form  than  we  now  know  it,  and  finally  that  an  exilic  and  poSt- 
exilic  writer  re-wrote,  or  perhaps — since  the  marks  of  later  date  are  not  deeply  embedded  in  the 
main  narrative — simply  retouched  it. 

The  aim  of  the  author  who  originally  committed  the  tradition  to  writing  appears  to  have 
been  to  preserve  a story  which,  because  of  its  exquisite  beauty  and  because  of  its  noble  picture 
of  fidelity  to  the  promptings  of  unselfish  affection,  was  well  worthy  of  a place  in  Israel's  script- 
ures. He  was  doubtless  also  influenced,  like  the  later  editor,  who  seems  to  have  appended 
the  genealogy  in  418-22,  by  the  fact  that  the  story  was  about  the  ancestors  of  David.  Subsequent 
editors  may  also  have  found  in  it  a justification  of  intermarriage  with  foreigners,  and  in  the 
conduct  of  Ruth  the  Moabitess  an  earnest  that  in  time  the  heathen  would  join  with  the  Israel- 
ites in  the  worship  of  Jehovah. 

8 l13  Heb.,  hand  of  Jehovah  has  gone  forth  against  me. 

1 l17  Its  very  indefiniteness  adds  to  the  force  of  the  oath.  Jehovah  is  left  free  to  inflict  any 

judgment,  however  severe,  cf.  Amos  412. 


311 


Their  ar- 
rival at 
Bethle- 
hem 


Ruth  as 
a gleaner 
in  the 
field  of 
Boaz 


Her  first 
meeting 
with 
Boaz 


Ruth  l18]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN 

Bethlehem  Cycle  of  Stories 

18And  when  she  saw  that  she  was  determined  to  go  with  her,  she  ceased 
speaking  with  her. 

19So  they  two  journeyed  until  they  came  to  Bethlehem.  And  when  they 
arrived  at  Bethlehem,  the  whole  town  was  stirred  about  them,  and  the  women 
said,  Is  this  Naomi  ? '20And  she  said  to  them,  Call  me  not  Naomi  [Sweetness], 
call  me  Mara  [Bitterness] ; for  the  Almighty  hath  made  my  lot  exceedingly  bit- 
ter. 21I  had  abundance,  when  I went,  but  Jehovah  hath  brought  me  back 
empty-handed;  why  should  you  call  me  Naomi,  since  Jehovah  hath  afflicted 
me,  and  the  Almighty  hath  brought  evil  upon  me?  22Thus  Naomi  returned, 
and  with  her  Ruth  the  Moabitess,  her  daughter-in-law,  fromu  the  country  of 
Moab.  And  they  came  to  Bethlehem  at  the  beginning  of  the  barley  harvest. 

2 'Now  Naomi  was  related  through  her  husband* * v  to  a very  wealthy  man, 
of  the  family  of  Elimelech,  whose  name  was  Boaz.  2And  Ruth  the  Moabit- 
ess said  to  Naomi,  Let  me  now  go  to  the  field,  and  glean  among  the  ears 
of  grain  after  him  in  whose  sight  I should  find  favor.  And  she  said  to  her. 
Go,  my  daughter.  3So  she  went,  and  entered  and  gleaned  in  the  field  after 
the  reapers;  and  it  was  her  fortune  to  come  upon  the  part  of  the  field  which 
belonged  to  Boaz,  who  was  of  the  family  of  Elimelech.  4And  just  then, 
Boaz  came  from  Bethlehem,  and  said  to  the  reapers,  Jehovah  be  with  you. 
And  they  answered  him.  May  Jehovah  bless  you.  5Then  said  Boaz  to  his 
servant,  the  overseer  of  the  reapers,  Whose  maiden  is  this?  6And  the  servant, 
the  overseer  of  the  reapers,  replied.  It  is  the  Moabite  maiden  who  came  back 
with  Naomi  from  the  country  of  Moab;  7 and  she  said,  ‘Let  me  glean,  I pray 
you,  and  gather  after  the  reapers  among  the  sheaves’;  so  she  came  and  has 
continued  at  work  since  then.  From  morning  until  now  she  has  rested  but 
a moment  in  the  house. 

8Then  said  Boaz  to  Ruth,  Do  you  not  hear,  my  daughter?  Do  not  go 
to  glean  in  another  field,  nor  go  from  here,  but  stay  close  by  my  maidens. 
9Keep  your  eyes  on  the  field  which  they  are  reaping,  and  go  after  them. 
Have  I not  charged  the  young  men  that  they  should  not  molest  you  ? And 
when  you  are  thirsty,  go  to  the  vessels,  and  drink  of  that  which  the  young  men 
have  drawn.  10Then  she  fell  on  her  face,  and  bowing  herself  to  the  ground, 
said  to  him,  Why  should  I find  favor  in  your  sight,  that  you  should  show  any 
regard  for  me,  since  I am  a foreigner?  11  And  Boaz  replied  to  her,  I have 
been  fully  informed  of  all  that  you  have  done  for  your  mother-in-law,  since 
the  death  of  your  husband;  and  how  you  left  your  father  and  mother  and  your 
native  land,  to  come  to  a people  that  you  had  not  known  before.  12Jehovah 
will  reward  what  you  have  done,  and  your  recompense  will  be  complete  from 
Jehovah  the  God  of  Israel,  under  whose  wings  you  have  come  to  take  refuge. 
13Then  she  said,  Let  me  find  favor  in  your  sight,  my  lord,  for  you  have 
comforted  me,  and  spoken  reassuringly  to  your  maid-servant,  although  I am 
not  as  one  of  your  maid-servants. 

14And  at  meal-time  Boaz  said  to  her,  Come  hither,  and  eat  some  of  the 


u l22  Heb.,  who  returned  out  of  the  country  of  Moab.  Syr.  and  Lat.  recognized  that  the  pas- 

sage was  pleonastic  and  attempted  to  improve  the  reading. 

v 21  Heb.,  Naomi  had  a kinsman  of  her  husband. 

312 


THE  DEVOTION  OF  RUTH 


[Ruth  2u 


Bethlehem  Cycle  of  Stories 

food,  and  dip  vour  morsel  of  bread  in  the  vinegar.  So  she  sat  beside  the  His 

i %/  o kindness 

reapers;  and  he  handed  her  roasted  grain,  and  she  ate  until  she  was  satisfied,  to  her 
and  had  some  left.  15And  when  she  had  arisen  to  glean,  Boaz  commanded 
his  young  men,  saying,  Let  her  glean  even  among  the  sheaves,  and  do  not 
hinder  her.  16And  also  pull  out  some  for  her  from  the  bundles,  and  leave 
for  her  to  glean,  and  do  not  rebuke  her. 

17So  she  gleaned  in  the  field  until  evening;  then  beat  out  that  which  she  Hersuc- 
had  gleaned;  and  it  was  about  an  ephah  of  barley.  18And  she  took  it  up  and  gleaner 
went  into  the  city,  and  showed  her  mother-in-law  what  she  had  gleaned. 

She  also  brought  forth  and  gave  her  that  which  she  had  left  from  her  meal 
after  she  had  had  enough.  19And  her  mother-in-law  said  to  her.  Where  did 
you  work  at  the  gleaning  to-day?  Blessed  be  he  who  showed  regard  to 
you.  Then  she  told  her  mother-in-law  with  whom  she  had  worked,  and 
said,  The  name  of  the  man  with  whom  I worked  to-day  is  Boaz.  20And 
Naomi  said  to  her  daughter-in-law,  Blessed  be  he  by  Jehovah,  who  hath 
not  left  off  his  kindness  to  the  living  and  to  the  dead.  Then  Naomi  said 
to  her,  The  man  is  a relative  of  ours,  one  of  our  near  kinsmen.  21  And  Ruth 
the  Moabitess  added,  Furthermore  he  said  to  me,  ‘You  must  keep  close  to 
my  young  men,  until  they  have  finished  all  my  harvest.’  22 And  Naomi  said 
to  Ruth  her  daughter-in-law,  It  is  best,  my  daughter,  that  you  should  go  out 
with  his  maidens,  and  that  they  should  not  meet  you  in  any  other  field.  23So 
she  kept  close  to  the  maidens  of  Boaz,  to  glean  to  the  end  of  the  barley  and 
wheat  harvest;  and  she  dwelt  with  her  mother-in-law. 

3 JThen  Naomi  her  mother-in-law  said  to  her,  My  daughter,  shall  I not  Naomi’s 
seek  a place  of  rest  for  you,  that  it  may  be  well  with  you?  2And  now  is  not  tionsto 
Boaz,  with  whose  maidens  you  have  been,  our  kinsman  ? Behold,  he  is  going 
to  winnow  barley  to-night  in  the  threshing-floor.  3So  wash  and  anoint  your- 
self, and  put  on  your  garments,  and  go  down  to  the  threshing-floor;  but  do  not 
make  yourself  known  to  the  man,  until  he  has  finished  eating  and  drinking. 

4 And  then,  when  he  lies  down,  you  shall  observe  the  place  where  he  lies,  and 
you  shall  go  in  and  uncover  his  feet  and  lay  yourself  down;  then  he  will  tell 
you  what  to  do.  5And  she  said  to  her,  I will  do  just  as  you  command. 

6So  she  went  down  to  the  threshing-floor,  and  did  just  as  her  mother-in-law 
had  bidden  her.  7And  when  Boaz  had  eaten  and  drunk,  and  his  heart  was  Ruth's 
merry,  he  went  to  lie  down  at  the  end  of  the  heap  of  grain.  Then  she  came  satioiT 
stealthily  and  uncovered  his  feet,  and  lay  down.  8And  it  came  to  pass  at  Boaz  at 
midnight,  that  when  the  man  started  up  and  turned  over,  a woman  was  the  °c 
lying  at  his  feet.  9And  he  said,  Who  are  you?  And  she  answered,  I am  ing!jjoor 
Ruth  your  maid-servant;  spread  therefore  your  skirt  over  your  maid-servant, 
for  you  are  a near  kinsman.  10And  he  said,  May  you  be  blest  by  Jehovah, 
my  daughter;  for  the  love  you  have  shown  me  in  this  last  instance  is  more 
beautiful  than  at  the  beginning,  in  that  you  have  not  gone  after  young  men, 
whether  poor  or  rich.  11  And  now,  my  daughter,  have  no  fear;  I will  do  for 
you  all  that  you  say;  for  all  the  people  of  my  cityw  know  that  you  are  a 

w 3'1  Heb.,  (/ate  of  my  people.  The  idiom  is  peculiar.  It  evidently  means  those  who  gather 
at  the  gate  of  the  city,  i.  e.,  the  public  place  of  assembly,  cf.  410'  u. 

513 


Boaz’s 
kindness 
to  his 
kins- 
woman 


His  ne- 
gotia- 
tions 
for  the 
right  of 
marry- 
ing her 


The  suc- 
cessful 
issue 


RuTH3n]  LIFE  OF  THE  HEBREWS  IN  CANAAN 

Bethlehem  Cycle  of  Stories 

worthy  woman.  12And  now  it  is  true  that  I am  a near  kinsman,  yet  there 
is  a kinsman  nearer  than  I.  13Wait  throughout  the  night,  and  then  in  the 
morning,  if  he  will  perform  the  duty  of  a kinsman  for  you,  well;  let  him  do 
the  kinsman’s  duty;  but  if  he  will  not  do  the  duty  of  a kinsman  for  you,  then, 
as  surely  as  Jehovah  liveth,  I will  do  the  duty  of  a kinsman  for  you.  Lie 
down  until  morning. 

14So  she  lay  at  his  feet  until  the  morning,  but  arose  before  one  could  recog- 
nize another,  for  he  said,  Let  it  not  be  known  that  the  woman  came  to  the 
threshing-floor.  15Then  he  said,  Bring  the  cloak  which  you  have  on,  and 
hold  it;  and  she  held  it  while  he  poured  into  it  six  measures  of  barley,  and 
laid  it  on  her.  Then  shex  went  into  the  city.  16And  when  she  came  to  her 
mother-in-law,  she  said,  How  is  it,y  my  daughter  ? And  she  recounted  to  her 
all  that  the  man  had  done  to  her.  17And  she  said,  These  six  measures  of  bar- 
ley he  gave  me;  for  he  said,  Do  not  go  empty-handed  to  your  mother-in-law. 
18Then  she  said,  Be  quiet,  my  daughter,  until  you  know  how  the  matter  will  turn 
out;  for  the  man  will  give  himself  no  peace,  unless  he  settles  the  matter  to-day. 

4 1Then  Boaz  went  up  to  the  gate,  and  sat  down  there  just  as  the  near 
kinsman,  of  whom  Boaz  had  spoken,  was  coming  along,  and  he  said,  Ho, 
So-and-so  [calling  him  by  name],  turn  aside,  sit  down  here.  So  he  turned 
aside,  and  sat  down.  2Then  he  took  ten  men  of  the  elders  of  the  city,  and 
said,  Sit  down  here.  And  they  sat  down.  3And  he  said  to  the  near  kinsman, 
Naomi,  who  has  come  back  from  the  country  of  Moab,  is  offering  for  sale  the 
piece  of  land,  which  belonged  to  our  kinsman  Elimelech ; 4and  I thought  that 
I would  lay  the  matter  before  you,  suggesting  that  you  buy  it  in  the  presence 
of  these  who  sit  here,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  elders  of  my  people.  If  you 
will  redeem  it,  redeem  it;  but  if  you  will  not  redeem  it,  then  tell  me,  that  I 
may  know ; for  no  one  but  you  has  the  right  to  redeem  it ; and  I am  next  to 
you.  And  he  said,  I will  redeem  it.  5Then  said  Boaz,  on  the  day  you  buy 
the  field  from  Naomi,  you  must  also  buy  Ruth2  the  Moabitess,  the  widow 
of  the  dead,  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  name  of  the  dead  in  connection  with 
his  inheritance.  6Tliereupon  the  near  kinsman  said,  I cannot  redeem  it 
for  myself,  lest  I should  spoil  my  own  inheritance.  Take  my  right  of  re- 
demption on  yourself,  for  I cannot  redeem  it. 

7Now  this  was  the  custom  in  early  times  in  Israel : to  make  valid  anything 
relating  to  a matter  of  redemption  or  exchange,  one  drew  off  his  shoe  and 
gave  it  to  the  other,  and  this  was  the  mode  of  attestation  in  Israel.  8So  when 
the  near  kinsman  said  to  Boaz,  Buy  it  for  yourself,  he  drew  off  his  shoe. 
9 And  Boaz  said  to  the  elders  and  all  the  people,  You  are  witnesses  at  this 
time,  that  I have  bought  all  that  was  Elimelech’s,  and  all  that  was  Chilion’s 
and  Mahlon’s,  from  Naomi.  10Moreover  Ruth  the  Moabitess,  the  wife  of 
Mahlon,  I have  bought  to  be  my  wife,  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  name  of  the 
dead  in  connection  with  his  inheritance,  that  the  name  of  the  dead  may  not 
be  cut  off  from  among  his  kinsmen,  and  from  the  gate  of  his  place;  you  are 

1 31S  Heb.,  he.  Syr.,  she,  as  required  by  the  context. 

y 316  Heb.,  Who  are  you ? but  Gk.,  What  is  it? 

z 45  So  Syr.  A letter  has  accidentally  or  purposely  been  removed  from  the  Heb.  by  some 
oopyist  so  that  it  reads,  and  from  Ruth.  Cf.  10- 

314 


DEVOTION  OF  RUTH 


[Ruth  410 


Reason 
why  cer- 
tain of 
the  older 
peoples 
of  Ca- 
naan 
were 
spared 


Bethlehem  Cycle  of  Stories 

witnesses  at  this  time. *  1 ' And  all  the  people  who  were  in  the  gate,  and  the 
elders,  said,  We  are  witnesses.  May  Jehovah  make  the  woman,  who  is 
coming  into  your  house,  like  Rachel  and  Leah,  who  together  built  the  house 
of  Israel;  and  do  worthily  in  Ephrathah,  and  make  yourself  famous  in 
Bethlehem.  From  the  offspring  which  Jehovah  shall  give  you  by  this  young 
woman,  12may  your  house  also  be  like  the  house  of  Perez,  whom  Tamar 
bore  to  Judah. a 

13Thus  Boaz  took  Ruth,  and  she  became  his  wife;  and  he  went  in  unto  her,  His  mar- 
and  Jehovah  gave  her  conception,  and  she  bore  a son.  14Then  the  women  am? the 
said  to  Naomi,  Blessed  be  Jehovah,  who  hath  not  left  you  at  this  time  with-  his  sou* 
out  a near  kinsman;  and  may  his  name  be  famous  in  Israel.  15And  he  shall 
be  to  you  a restorer  of  life,  and  a nourisher  of  your  old  age;  for  your  daughter- 
in-law  who  loves  you,  who  is  worth  more  to  you  than  seven  sons,  has  borne  him 
a son.  16And  Naomi  took  the  child,  and  laid  it  in  her  bosom,  and  became 
its  nurse.  17 And  the  women  her  neighbors  gave  it  a name,  saying,  A son  is 
born  to  Naomi!  And  they  called  his  name  Obed;  he  was  the  father  of  Jesse, 
the  father  of  David. 

18Now  these  are  the  generations  of  Perez.  Perez  begat  Hezron,  19and  Hezron  begat  Geneal- 
Ram,  and  Ram  begat  Amminadab,  20and  Amminadab  begat  Nashon,  and  Nashon  begat 
Salmon,  21and  Salmon  begat  Boaz,  and  Boaz  begat  Obed,  22and  Obed  begat  Jesse,  and  Jesse  through 
begat  David.  Iluth 


IV 


HEBREW  DELIVERERS  AND  THE  GRADUAL  CONSOLIDA- 
TION OF  THE  TRIBES,  Judg.  27-  8a'  10-1631 


§ 135.  Traditional  Conceptions  of  the  Period  of  Settlement,  Judg.  27’8a'10-36 


Early  Judean 
Judg.223So 
Jehovah  left 
those  nations, 
not  driving 
them  out  at 


Later  Ephraimite 
2 8aNow  Joshua  the 
son  of  Nun,  the  servant 
of  Jehovah,  died,  10and 
also  all  that  generation 
were  gathered  to  their 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

2 7Now  the  people  served  Jeho-  Aposta- 
vah  all  the  days  of  Joshua,  and  all  Israel-  e 
the  days  of  the  elders  who  outlived  theirnd 
Joshua,  who  had  seen  all  the  great  Senth 
work  of  Jehovah,  which  he  had 


» 4U  Cf.  Gen.  38,  § 44. 

Hebrew  Deliverers  and  the  Gradual  Consolidation  of  the  Tribes. — The  earliest  edition 
of  the  book  of  Judges  was  from  a late  prophetic  editor.  It  probably  included  most  of  26-1631. 
28 *— 3 ■ contains  the  original  late  prophetic  (Deuteronomic)  introduction  to  the  first  edition  of 
Judges.  It  presents  the  editor’s  conception  of  the  period.  Cf.  especially  211'19.  This  inter- 
pretation of  the  history  constantly  reappears  in  the  editorial  setting,  which  is  given  to  each  of 
the  stories.  Cf.  37-15,  41-  2,  61_1°,  106_lfi,  1 *31.  This  editorial  framework,  however,  is  not  found  in 

l1— 2\  nor  in  17-21.  9 for  the  same  reason  seems  to  have  been  added  later. 

Although  their  contents  did  not  always  substantiate  his  theory  of  the  period,  the  late  pro- 

phetic editor  evidently  quoted  the  earlier  traditions  with  very  few  changes.  The  presence  of 


§ 135  Three  distinct  reasons  are  given  in  the  editorial  introduction,  25-36,  to  the  late  pro- 

phetic book  of  Judges  as  to  why  the  older  inhabitants  were  allowed  to  oppress  the  Israelites 

during  the  period  of  settlement.  The  first  frankly  assumes,  as  in  Judg.  1,  that  many  of  these 

heathen  peoples  remained,  and  that  the  Hebrews  freely  intermarried  with  them,  223a,  32‘.  6. 

It  assigns  as  the  reason  that  they  might  gain  experience  in  warfare.  This  is  evidently  the  brief 

continuation  of  the  original  Judean  narratives.  The  second  explanation  repeats  the  Ephra- 

imite account  of  the  death  of  Joshua,  cf.  Josh.  2429.  so  and  Judg.  26>  8,  and  then  goes  on  in  the 

315 


JUDG.  223’  8a] 


HEBREW  DELIVERERS 


[JUDG.  27 


Early  Judean 

once;  and  he 
did  not  deliver 
them  into  the 
power  of  Josh- 
ua, 3 2simply 
for  the  sake  of 
the  successive 
generations 
of  the  Israel- 
ites, to  famil- 
iarize them'1 
with  w a r, — 
a t least  those 
who  had  previ- 
ously known 
nothing  about 
it. 


Later  Ephraimite 
fathers.  And  there 
arose  another  genera- 
tion after  them,  that 
did  not  know  Jehovah, 
nor  the  work  which  he 
had  done  for  Israel. 
13And  they  forsook  Je- 
hovah, and  served11 
Baal  and  Astarte.0 
20Therefore  the  anger 
of  Jehovah  was  aroused 
against  Israel,  and  he 
said,  Because  this  na- 
tion has  transgressed 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 
done  for  Israel.3,  11  Then  the  Is- 
raelites did  that  which  was  dis- 
pleasing to  Jehovah,  and  served  the 
Baals;  12and  they  forsook  Jeho- 
vah, the  God  of  their  fathers,  who 
brought  them  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  and  followed  other  gods 
from  among  the  gods  of  the  peoples 
who  were  about  them,  and  bowed 
themselves  down  to  them,  and 
provoked  Jehovah  to  anger.  14And 
the  anger  of  Jehovah  was  aroused 
against  Israel,  and  he  delivered 
them  into  the  power  of  plunderers 


parallel  accounts  of  the  same  event  indicates  that  these  older  narratives  were  also  derived  in 
turn  from  still  earlier  sources,  which  had  been  continued,  probably  about  the  same  time  and  by 
a prophet  of  the  same  school  as  those  who  united  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  strands  in  the 
Pentateuch  and  Josh.  Cf.  Introd.,  pp.  40,  41.  As  in  Josh.  1-12,  the  amalgamation  is  usually 
very  close.  In  most  cases  these  original  sources  can  be  confidently  identified  with  one  or  tho 
other  of  the  early  prophetic  groups  of  narratives.  At  least  four  distinct  stages,  therefore,  can 
be  definitely  distinguished  in  the  literary  history  of  Judg. : (1)  the  commitment  of  the  different 
traditions  to  writing;  (2)  the  close  amalgamation  of  the  variant  versions  by  a prophet,  who 
desired  to  bring  out  the  important  religious  lessons  of  the  history  by  means  of  a continuous 
narrative;  (3)  the  arrangement  of  the  stories  in  their  present  order  and  setting  with  general 
and  individual  introductions;  (4)  the  addition  of  l*-36  9 and  17-21  to  the  late  prophetic  edition 
of  the  book.  The  final  work  of  redaction  was  probably  done  by  a priestly  editor,  who  has  also 
introduced  occasional  verses  and  clauses,  especially  into  its  framework. 

The  order  of  events  and  of  the  different  deliverers  is  therefore  due  to  the  late  prophetic 
editor.  It  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  he  in  turn  followed  that  of  the  earlier  narratives. 
This  order  is  in  general  confirmed  by  the  occasional  indications  within  the  stories  themselves. 
Thus,  for  example,  the  incursions  of  the  Midianites,  6-8,  must  have  been  preceded  by  the  over- 
throw of  Canaanitish  power  on  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  4,  5.  The  Ammonite  and  Philistine  op- 
pressions, 10-16,  are  the  natural  prelude  to  the  struggles  for  independence  in  the  days  of  Saul, 
recorded  in  I Sam.  Jephthah,  however,  may  well  have  been  contemporary  with  Samson,  and 
the  late  prophetic  editor’s  conception  that  each  judge  ruled  over  all  Israel  and  that  they  fol- 
low each  other  in  regular  succession,  finds  no  support  in  the  original  traditions.  The  fact  that 
the  number  of  years  which  he  assigns  to  each  are  multiples  and  fractions  of  forty  (a  generation) 
strongly  suggests  that  in  lieu  of  definite  data,  he  was  working  out  an  approximate  system  of 
chronology,  the  basis  of  which  was  the  assignment  of  480  years,  or  twelve  generations  of  forty 
years  each,  to  the  period  from  the  exodus  to  the  founding  of  Solomon’s  temple,  I Kgs.  61.  Cf. 
vol.  II.  in  loco. 

The  historical  value  of  the  ancient  stories  in  Judg.  is  great,  not  only  because  of  the  authentic 
facts  which  they  present,  but  also  because  of  incidental  data  which  they  contain.  With  their 
aid  it  is  possible  to  become  intelligently  acquainted  with  the  fortunes  and  conditions  of  the 
individual  tribes  before  a common  danger  and  a common  leader  united  them  all  into  a nation. 
The  conception  thus  gained  is  far  truer  than  it  would  have  been  were  we  simply  dependent 
upon  the  traditions  of  a later  age. 


same  style  and  from  the  same  point  of  view  to  state  that  the  sin  of  the  generation  which  fol- 
lowed Joshua  so  aroused  Jehovah’s  indignation  that  he  allowed  the  heathen  peoples  to  remain 
in  Canaan,  that  he  might  thereby  test  the  loyalty  of  the  Israelites,  210’  13'  2°-22,  31*.  3‘  4*.  The 
style,  the  implications  and  the  tone  of  these  verses  indicate  that  they  belong  to  the  Ephraim- 
ite narratives  and  probably  to  a later  strand  not  far  removed  from  the  late  prophetic.  Cf. 
Ex.  2330'  § 78.  The  remaining  verses  of  the  section  present  the  distinctive  ideas  of  the  late  pro- 
phetic or  Deuteronomic  editor,  in  accordance  with  which  the  rest  of  Judg.,  with  the  exception 
of  9 and  17-21,  is  arranged.  The  significant  and  instructive  fact  is  that,  although  the  reasons 
offered  by  the  earlier  prophets  were  different  from  his  own,  he  nevertheless,  in  his  eagerness 
to  preserve  every  single  grain  of  truth,  weaves  them  into  his  introduction.  The  section  is  of 
great  interest  and  value,  because  it  is  one  of  the  earliest  and  clearest  expressions  of  that  religious 
philosophy  of  history  which  permeates  and  iiiumines  much  of  the  literature  of  the  Bible. 

a 2i0  Repeated  with  very  slight  changes  (e.  g.,  Israel  for  people  in  the  first  line)  in  Josh.  2431. 
b 213  Heb.  construction  calls  for  the  words,  sacrificed  to. 

c 213  So  Gk.,  Syr.  Heb.  form  Ashtaroth.  which  probably  arose  from  the  intentional  substitu- 
tion of  the  vowels  of  the  Heb.  word  for  shame , bosheth. 
d 32  So  Gk.  Heb.  pleonastic,  might  know  to  teach. 

316 


Judg.  35,  220] 


NATURE  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT 


[Judg.  214 


Early  Judean 


Nations  ®So  the  Is- 
were  left  raelites  dwelt 
among  the 
Canaanites, 
the  Hittites,  the 
Amorites,  the 
Perizzites,  the 
H i v i t e a , and 
the  Jebusites ; 
6and  they 
took  their 
daughters  as 
wives,  and 
gave  their 
own  daugh- 
ters to  their 
sons,  and 
served  their 
gods. 


Later  Ephraimite 
my  covenant  which  I 
laid  upon  their  fathers, 
and  have  not  hearken- 
ed to  my  voice;  21I,  on 
my  part,  will  not  hence- 
forth drive  out  from  be- 
fore them  any  of  the  na- 
tions that  Joshua  left 
when  he  died ; 22that  by 
them  I may  try  Israel, 
whether  they  will  keep 
the  way  of  Jehovah  to 
walk  in  it  as  their  fa- 
thers kept  it,  or  not. 

3 1Now  these  are  the 
nations  which  Jehovah 
left  to  test  Israel,  even  as 
many  of  Israel  as  had  not 
known  all  the  wars  of  Ca- 
naan ; 3namely,  the  five 
tyrants  of  the  Philis- 
tines, and  all  the  Ca- 
naanites, and  the  Sido- 
nians,  and  the  Ilivites 
that  dwelt  in  Mount 
Lebanon,  from  Mount 
Baal-hermon  to  the  en- 
trance  of  Hamath. 
4And  they  served  as  a 
test  for  Israel,  to  deter- 
mine whether  they  would 
hearken  to  the  command- 
ments of  Jehovah,  which  he 
commanded  their  fathers 
by  Moses. 


Late  Prophetic  Narratives 
who  plundered  them,  and  he  sold 
them  into  the  power  of  their  ene- 
mies on  all  sides  so  that  they  could 
not  any  longer  withstand  their 
enemies.  15Whenever  they  went 
out  the  hand  of  Jehovah  was 
against  them  for  evil,  as  Jehovah 
had  spoken,  and  as  Jehovah  had 
sworn  to  them;  and  they  were  in 
great  straits. 

16Then  Jehovah  raised  up  judg  es  Periods 
who  delivered  them  from  the  power  erance 
of  those  who  plundered  them.  sent'0 
17And  yet  they  would  not  hearken  followed 
to  their  judges;  for  they  disloyally  odsPofn' 
went  aftere  other  gods  and  bowed  tkfn^ 
themselves  down  to  them;  they 
turned  aside  quickly  out  of  the  way  in 
which  their  fathers  had  walked,  obeying 
the  commandments  of  Jehovah;  thus  they 
did  not  do.f  18And  when  Jehovah 
raised  them  up  judges,  then  Jeho- 
vah was  with  the  judge,  and  deliv- 
ered them  from  the  power  of  their 
enemies  all  the  days  of  the  judge; 
for  Jehovah  was  moved  to  pity  be- 
cause of  their  groaning  under  those 
who  maltreated  and  oppressed 
them.  19But  when  the  judge  was 
dead,  they  would  turn  back  and  act 
more  corruptly  than  their  fathers, 
in  running  after  other  gods  to  serve 
them  and  to  bow  down  to  them; 
they  did  not  abandon  any  of  their 
practices,  or  any  of  their  stubborn 
ways. 


• 217  Heb.  lit.,  played  tke  harlot, 
t 217b  Apparently  an  awkward  editorial  addition. 


317 


JUDG.  37] 


HEBREW  DELIVERERS:  EHUD 


Guilt 
and  pun- 
ishment 
of  the  Is- 
raelites 


Their 
deliver- 
ance by 
Othniel 


Guilt 
and  pun- 
ishment 
of  the  Is- 
raelites 


Assassi- 
nation of 
the  king 
of  Moab 
by  Ehud 


§ 136.  Victory  of  Othniel  over  the  Arameans,  Judg.  31*11 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  3 7Then  the  Israelites  did  that  which  displeased  Jehovah,  and  for- 
got Jehovah  their  God,  and  served  the  Baals  and  the  Asheras.g  there- 
fore Jehovah’s  anger  was  aroused  against  Israel,  and  he  sold  them  into  the 
power  of  Cushan-rishathaim  king  of  Aram  Naharaim  [Aram  between  two 
rivers]1 *'  and  the  Israelites  were  subject  to  Cushan-rishathaim  eight  years. 

9But  when  the  Israelites  cried  to  Jehovah,  Jehovah  raised  up  a deliverer 
for  the  Israelites  who  delivered  them,  even  Othniel  the  son  of  Kenaz,  Caleb’s 
younger  brother.  10 *For  the  spirit  of  Jehovah  came  upon  him,  and  he  estab- 
lished the  rights  of  Israel  in  that  he  went  out  to  war,  and  Jehovah  delivered 
Cushan-rishathaim  king  of  Aram  Naharaim  into  his  power;  and  his  might 
prevailed  over  Cushan-rishathaim.  nSo  the  land  was  at  peace  forty  years. 
Then  Othniel  the  son  of  Kenaz  died. 

§ 137.  Victory  of  Ehud  over  the  Moabites,  Judg.  312-30 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Jlldg.  3 12Then  the  Israelites  did  that  which  displeased  Jehovah,  and  Jehovah  gave 
Bglon  the  king  of  Moab  power  to  prevail  against  Israel,  because  they  had  done  that  which 
displeased  Jehovah.  lsAnd  he  gathered  to  him  the  Ammonites  and  Amalekites  and  went 
and  defeated  Israel,  and  took  possession  of  the  city  of  palm-trees  [Jericho].  uAnd  the 
Israelites  were  subject  to  Eglon  the  king  of  Moab  eighteen  years. 

15Then  the  Israelites  cried  to  Jehovah,  and  Jehovah  raised  them  up  a deliverer,  Ehud 
the  son  of  Gera,  the  Benjamite,  a left-handed  man.  Now  the  Israelites  sent 
tribute  by  him  to  Eglon  the  king  of  Moab.  16 And  Ehud  made  him  a two- 
edged  dagger  about  a foot  in  length,1  and  hung  it  under  his  clothing  upon  his 
right  thigh.  17 * * And  he  offered  the  tribute  to  Eglon  king  of  Moab.  Now 
Eglon  was  a very  fat  man.  18 * And  when  he  had  finished  offering  the  tribute, 
he  sent  away  the  people  who  had  carried  the  tribute.  19But  he  himself 
turned  back  from  the  sculptured  stones  near  Gilgal,  and  said,  I have  a 
private  message  for  you,  O king.  And  he  said,  Silence ! And  all  who  stood 


§ 136  The  passage  throughout  has  the  expressions  and  ideas  peculiar  to  the  late  prophetic 
editor.  Cf.  § 135.  Ordinarily  this  editor  incorporates  earlier  material  in  his  epitomes.  Oth- 

niel is  elsewhere  the  name  of  a tribe,  the  chief  city  of  which  was  Debir  in  the  extreme  south  of 

Canaan,  l13 * *,  Josh.  1517 *,  § 114.  It  is  unprecedented  and  improbable  that  the  Arameans  carried 

their  conquests  to  a point  so  far  removed  from  their  territory  on  the  upper  Euphrates.  Cushan 
is  always  associated  with  Midian  as  the  name  of  an  Arab  tribe  to  the  south  or  southeast  of 

Canaan,  Num.  121,  H ib.  37.  Rishathaim  suggested  the  Heb.  rish’ah,  wickedness.  A popular 

translation  of  this  dual  form  would  be,  “ a double-dyed  villain.”  Aram  in  the  O.T.  is  fre- 
quently misread  fo,  Edom.  The  historical  incident  underlying  this  late  tradition  may,  there- 

fore, be  an  invasion  of  the  Cushites  from  the  desert  to  the  southeast  of  Judah,  which  was  repelled 
by  the  tribe  of  Othniel. 

8 37  Sacred  trees  or  posts. 

h 3s  Gk.,  Syria  of  the  Rivers.  Not  the  Syria  of  later  times  nor  identical  with  Mesopotamia. 

Cf.  map  opposite  p.  49. 

§ 137  The  introduction  and  conclusion  are  as  usual  from  a late  prophetic  editor.  Into 

the  introduction  he  has  woven  certain  facts  (cf.  13)  derived  from  his  earlier  source.  In  this 

framework  he  has  set  the  ancient  story,  which  appears  to  have  been  derived  from  the  early 

Judean  group  of  narratives.  It  has  also  been  claimed  that  the  passage  contains  extracts  from 

an  Ephraimite  source,  but  the  data  are  not  conclusive.  The  story  is  in  perfect  keeping  with 

the  standards  and  characteristics  of  the  rude  age  to  which  it  belongs.  _ _ 

■ 316  The  exact  meaning  of  the  Heb.  word  of  measure  is  unknown.  It  is  probably  derived 

from  a root  to  freeze,  to  contract.  Tradition  makes  it  the  distance  from  the  elbow  to  the 

knuckles  of  the  clinched  hand. 


318 


VICTORY  OVER  THE  MOABITES  [Judg.  319 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

by  him  went  out  from  his  presence.  20Then  Ehud  went  in  to  him,  as  he 
was  sitting  alone  in  the  cool  upper  apartment.  And  Ehud  said,  I have  a 
message  from  God  for  you.  And  as  he  arose  from  his  seat,  21Ehud  reached 
out  his  left  hand,  and  took  the  dagger  from  his  right  thigh,  and  plunged  it 
into  his  body,  22so  that  the  hilt  also  went  in  after  the  blade,  and  the  fat  closed 
over  the  blade,  for  he  did  not  draw  the  dagger  out  of  his  body;  and  the  feces 
came  out. 

23Then  Ehud  went  out  into  the  porch,  and  shut  the  doors  of  the  upper 
apartment  upon  him  and  locked  them.  24Now  when  he  had  gone  out,  his 
servants  came;  and  they  looked,  and,  behold,  the  doors  of  the  upper  apart- 
ment were  locked;  and  they  said,  Surely  he  must  be  covering  his  feet  in  the 
private  room  in  the  cool  apartment.  25So  they  waited  till  they  were  per- 
plexed by  his  strange  failure  to  open  the  doors  of  the  upper  room;  therefore 
they  took  the  key  and  opened  them,  and  there  was  their  lord  lying  prostrate 
on  the  earth,  dead.  26ButEhud  had  slipped  away  while  they  were  waiting, 
and  had  passed  beyond  the  sculptured  stones,  and  was  making  good  his 
escape  to  Seirah. 

27 And  when  he  arrived,  he  blew  a trumpet  in  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim ; 
and  the  Israelites  went  down  with  him  from  the  hill-country  and  he  was  at  their  head. 
28For  he  said  to  them,  Follow  me,  because  Jehovah  has  delivered  your  ene- 
mies, the  Moabites,  into  your  power.  So  they  followed  him  and  seized  the 
fords  of  the  Jordan  against  the  Moabites,  and  did  not  allow  a man  to  pass 
over.  29  And  they  slew  of  the  Moabites  at  that  time  about  ten  thousand  men,  all  stout  and 
reliant;  not  a man  escaped.  30Thus  Moab  was  brought  into  subjection  that  day  to  the 
power  of  Israel.  And  the  land  was  at  peace  eighty  years. 

§ 138.  Achievements  of  Shamgar,  Judg.  3S1 
Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Judg.  3 31And  after  him  Shamgar  the  son  of  Anath  arose,  who  slew  of  the 
Philistines  six  hundred  men  with  an  ox -goad.  And  he,  too,  delivered  Israel. 


§ 138  Judg.  41,  which  introduces  Deborah  and  Barak  as  the  immediate  successors  of  Ehud, 
indicates  that  this  brief  notice  regarding  Shamgar  was  not  found  in  the  late  prophetic  edition 
of  Judg.  This  is  confirmed  by  the  fact  that  its  phraseology  is  entirely  different  from  that  by 
which  the  late  prophetic  editor  introduces  the  so-called  minor  judges  in  101-6,  128-15.  The  verse 
must  therefore  be  from  the  late  priestly  editor.  The  act  recorded  and  the  Philistine  foes  recall 
the  Samson  stories.  Shamgar  is  not  a Heb.  name.  A certain  Hittite  chief  of  Charchemish  in 
the  ninth  century  b.c.  was  called  Sangara.  Cf.  ZDMG  XLI1,  479.  Cf.  also  Jer.  393.  Anath 
seems  to  have  been  the  name  of  a Syrian  goddess,  worshipped  especially  by  the  Hitt’tes.  The 
name  of  the  hero  and  his  achievement  are  strikingly  similar  to  those  of  one  of  David’s  warriors, 
Shammah  the  son  of  Agee,  who  by  his  slaughter  of  many  Philistines  won  a great  victory,  II  Sam. 
2311- 12.  The  traditions  may  both  be  about  the  same  man,  but  the  reference  in  the  ancient  song 
of  Deborah  to  Shamgar  the  son  of  Anath,  56,  suggests  still  another  possibility.  It  is  that  this 
late  tradition  arose  from  the  allusion  to  the  days  of  Shamgar  in  the  song.  The  allusion,  how- 
ever, indicates  the  existence  of  such  a man — deliverer  or  oppressor  of  the  Hebrews — and  it  is 
not  at  all  impossible  that  331  embodies  a distinct  tradition,  even  though  it  f<*ind  a place  in 
Judg.  at  a very  late  date. 


His  es- 
cape 


His  rally 
of  the 
Eph- 
raimites 
and  re- 
pulse of 
the  Mo- 
abites 


His 

slaugh- 
ter or  the 
Philis- 
tines 


319 


Judg.  51]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS:  DEBORAH  [Judg.  41 
§ 139.  Victory  of  Deborah  and  Barak  over  the  Canaanites,  Judg.  41-22,  5 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Judg.  5 'Then  sang  Deborah  and  Barak  the  son 
of  Abinoam  on  that  day  : 


Eiordi-  2That  the  leaders  took  the  lead  in  Israel, 

That  the  people  volunteered  readily,-1 
Bless  Jehovah  ! 

3Hear,  O kings. 

Give  ear,  O rulers. 

I myself  will  sing  to  Jehovah, 

I will  sing  praise  to  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel. 


Epliraimite  Narratives 

4 ' And  the  Israelites  again  did 
that  which  displeased  Jehovah, 
when  Ehud  was  dead.  2 And  Je- 
hovah sold  them  into  the  power 
of  Jabin  king  of  Canaan,  who 
reigned  in  Hazor,  whose  general 
was  Sisera,  who  dwelt  in  Haro- 
sheth  of  the  Gentiles.  3The  Isra- 
elites cried  to  Jehovah;  for  he 
had  nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron; 
and  he  oppressed  the  Israelites 
cruelly  for  twenty  years. 

4Now  Deborah,  a pro- 
phetess, the  wife  of  Lappi- 
doth,  was  judging  Israel  at  that 


§ 139  The  great  and  decisive  victory  of  the  Hebrews  over  the  Canaanites  is  recounted  in 
two  parallel  versions,  one  prose,  4,  the  other  poetry,  5.  Of  the  two  the  poetic  is  clearly  the  older. 
Many  of  its  words  and  idioms  represent  such  an  early  stage  in  the  history  of  the  Heb.  language, 
that  they  were  no  longer  intelligible  to  later  copyists  and  translators.  The  result  is  that  it  con- 
tains more  passages,  the  meaning  of  which  is  still  doubtful,  than  any  other  chapter  in  the  O.T. 
For  this  reason  and  because  it  retains  all  the  local  coloring  of  a contemporary  writing,  it  is  now 
almost  universally  regarded  as  the  oldest  complete  example  of  literature  in  the  Bible.  Like 
most  superscriptions,  the  prose  introduction  appears  to  be  added  by  an  editor  who  inferred 
from  the  song  that  Deborah  and  Barak  were  the  joint  authors.  The  evidence,  however,  favors 
the  conclusion  that  the  poet  was  rather  a contemporary  of  these  leaders.  In  12  Deborah  and 
Barak  are  the  ones  addressed.  In  verse  7 the  Heb.  may  be  read  either  with  the  first  or  the  sec- 
ond person — 12  favors  the  second — and  the  Gk.  has,  Until  Deborah  arose.  In  15  Deborah  and 
Barak  are  referred  to  in  the  third  person.  The  laudation  of  their  deeds  in  2-  7-  9 is  also  far  more 
appropriate  on  the  lips  of  a contemporary  poet  than  on  those  of  the  actors  themselves. 

The  beauty  of  this  ancient  poem  is  unrivalled.  In  a series  of  bold  apostrophes  the  suc- 
cessive acts  are  so  vividly  presented  that  the  reader  at  once  becomes  an  eye-witness  of  the  con- 
flict. He  sees  the  conditions  antecedent  to  it,  the  rallying  of  the  tribes,  and  the  cowardly  hesi- 
tation of  some.  He  hears  the  rumble  of  the  chariot  wheels,  the  pounding  of  the  horses’  hoofs 
and  the  shock  of  conflict.  He  beholds  the  enemy  in  flight.  He  shares  the  contempt  for  the 
people  of  Meroz^  who  rejected  the  opportunity  to  strike  the  fatal  blow,  and  commends  the  gory 
act  of  Jael  the  Kenite.  Through  the  eyes  of  the  primitive  poet,  he  even  looks  within  the  harem 
and  hears,  more  with  exultation  than  with  pity,  Sisera’s  mother  expressing  her  fond  hopes, 
destined  already  to  bitterest  disappointment.  Viewed  from  the  literary  point  of  view,  the  poem 
is  a perfect  piece  of  art.  Of.  vol.  V.  in  loco. 

To  the  historian  and  the  student  of  Israelitish  religion  this  triumphal  ode  is  of  the  greatest 
value.  It  furnishes  the  surest  starting  point  for  the  study  of  Israel’s  early  life  and  faith.  It 
also  records  the  decisive  battle  by  which  Hebrews  became  masters  of  agricultural  Canaan  and 
perhaps  marks  the  first  united  action  of  the  leading  tribes  against  their  common  foes.  The 
victory  beside  the  Kishon  was  certainly  the  most  important  of  those  many  initial  steps  which 
preceded  the  establishment  of  the  Israelitish  state. 

This  ancient  poem  was  probably  first  incorporated  in  one  of  Israel’s  early  song-books,  cf. 
Introd.,  p.  16,  and  then  was  included  in  the  Judean  stories  of  the  period.  The  corresponding  prose 
version  in  4 reflects  a later  and  distinct  point  of  view:  Sisera  is  simply  the  general  of  Jabin 
king  of  Hazor;  Barak  rallies  10,000  men  from  Zebulun  and  Naphtali  only;  Deborah  is  not 
from  Zebulun,  51S,  but  from  central  Ephraim,  4s;  the  details  of  Sisera’s  death  also  differ  widely. 

While  4 seems  to  contain  the  Ephraimite  parallel  to  5,  it  also  has  certain  elements  foreign  to 
the  original  tradition.  These  are  derived  from  the  tradition  of  the  battle  with  Jabin  king  of 
Hazor  which  is  recorded  at  length  in  Josh.  II1  9.  Cf.  note  § 115.  The  data,  the  place,  and  the 
participants  in  the  two  narratives  were  entirely  distinct.  The  inevitable  result  is  considerable 
confusion,  especially  in  the  account  of  the  battle.  The  Hebrews  are  represented  as  assembling 
at  Kadesh  of  Naphtali,  far  in  the  north,  and  as  marching  past  Hazor  to  fight  the  decisive  battle 
beside  the  Kishon,  and  then  Sisera  flees  alone  back  through  Israelitish  territory  to  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Kadesh,  where  he  is  slain  by  Jael.  Although  fuller  versions  of  both  traditions  are 
known,  it  is  difficult  here  to  disentangle  them.  The  late  prophetic  editor  who  combined 
them,  provided  them  with  his  usual  introduction  and  then  harmonized  them  by  making  Sisera 
the  general  of  Jabin.  Jabin,  however,  soon  almost  disappears  from  the  story  and  Sisera  figures 
as  the  leader  of  the  Canaanites  until  the  editor  again  introduces  Jabin  at  the  end  of  the  chapter, 
23 • 24.  When  the  analysis  has  revealed  the  Sisera-Deborah  story  its  close  similarity  to  the  poetic 
version  becomes  clear. 

i 52  So  oldest  Gk..  Luc.,  Theod.,  Lat.  The  meaning  of  the  Heb.  word  is  doubtful.  Its  use 
in  Dt.  32'2  seems  to  support  the  above  reading.  Another  possible  translation  would  be,  that 
they  let  the  hair  grow  long  in  Israel , like  the  Nazirites,  perhaps  suggesting  a compact  with 
Jehovah  to  secure  his  aid  in  delivering  them. 

320 


Guilt 
and  pun- 
ishment 
of  the  Is- 
raelites 


Deborah 

the 

prophet- 
ess and 
Barak 
the  war- 
rior 


Judg.  54]  VICTORY  OVER  THE  CANAANITES  [Judo.  44 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 
Advent  4 Jehovah  when  thou  wentest  forth  from  Seir, 
vaheh°  When  thou  marchedst  from  the  land  of  Edom, 
The  earth  trembled,  the  heavens  also  dripped, 
Yea,  the  clouds  dropped  water. 

‘The  mountains  quaked*  before  Jehovah, 

Yon  Sinai* 1  before  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel. 


Condi-  6In  the  days  of  Shamgar  the  son  of  Anath, 
fore1 the'  the  days  of  Jael,  the  highways  ceased  to  be 
war  used, 

And  travellers’”  walked  by  round-about  paths. 
’The  rulers”  ceased  in  Israel,  they  ceased, 

Until  thou”  didst  arise,  Deborah, 

Until  thou  didst  arise  a mother  in  Israel. 

8(God  was  choosing  new  things), 

A shield  was  not  to  be  seen  in  five  cities, b 
Nor  a spear  among  forty  thousand. 


Present  9My  heart  goes  out  to  the  commanders  of  Israel, 
causes  Who  volunteered  readily  among  the  people  ; 
thanks-  Bless  Jehovah  ! 

paving  10Proclaim  it,  you  who  ride  on  tawny  asses, 

Who  sit  on  rich  saddle-cloths. 

And  you  who  walk  by  the  way. 
nFar  from  the  sound  of  the  division  of  spoil,  in 
the  places  where  water  is  drawn  ; 

There  let  them  rehearse  the  righteous  acts  of 
Jehovah,0 

Even  the  righteous  acts  of  his  rule  in  Israel. 


Ephraimite  Narratives 
time.  6And  she  was  accustomed 
to  sit  under  the  palm-tree  of  Deb- 
orah between  Ramah  and  Bethel 
in  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim, 
and  the  Israelites  used  to  go  up  to 
her  for  judgment.  6 And  she  Sent 
and  summoned  Barak  the 
son  of  Abinoam  from  Ka- 
desh  Naphtali,  and  said  to 
him,  Does  not  Jehovah,  the 
God  of  Israel,  command, 
‘Go  and  proceed  to  Mount 
Tabor,  and  take  with  you 
ten  thousand  men  of  the 
Naphtalites  and  of  the 
Zebulunites  ? 7And  I will  en- 
tice out  to  you  at  the  river 
Kishon,  Sisera,  Jabin’s  general, 
with  his  chariots  and  his 
troops,  and  will  deliver  him 
into  your  power.’  8 And 
Barak  said  to  her,  If  you  will 
go  with  me,  then  I will  go; 
but  if  you  will  not  go  with 
me,  I will  not  go.  9And 
she  said,  I will  certainly  go 
with  you;  only  you  will  not 
have  the  glory  in  this  enter- 
prise on  which  you  are  em- 
barking; for  Jehovah  will 
sell  Sisera  into  the  power  of 
a woman.  So  Deborah 
arose,  and  went  with  Barak 
to  Kadesh. 


k 55  Or,  streamed. 

1 55b  Heb.,  this  Sinai.  The  words  disturb  the  metrical  structure  of  the  verse,  and  the  con- 
struction is  late  Heb.  It  is  probable  that  it  was  added  later  to  define  mountains  in  6a.  H was, 
however,  in  the  version  quoted  in  Ps.  688. 
m 5fl  Or,  caravans. 

■ 57a  Syr.  and  Targums,  villages  or  hamlets.  This  is  on  the  whole  the  most  satisfactory 
translation  of  the  Heb.  root,  so  Ezek.  3811,  Zech.  28.  The  word,  however,  occurs  in  n,  where  this 
meaning  is  impossible.  The  above  reading  is  supported  by  Gk.,  Lat.  and  context. 

a 57b  Heb.,  / arose  or  (archaic)  thou  didst  arise.  Vs.  12  and  the  greater  appropriateness  of 
these  words  on  the  lips  of  the  poet  rather  than  on  those  of  Deborah,  favors  the  second  person. 
It  may  be  either. 

b 58a,  b a very  difficult  verse,  usually  regarded  as  hopelessly  corrupt.  A literal  translation 
of  the  Heb.,  as  ordinarily  punctuated,  is,  God  was  choosing  new  things , then  was  barley  bread.  So 
Syr.  The  current  English  translation  simply  follows  Targums  and  Jewish  commentators.  A 
single  change  in  the  separation  of  the  letters  gives  the  above  reading,  suggested  by  Lambert 
(REJ.  XXX  , 115).  Jehovah  would,  from  analogies,  be  expected  instead  of  God,  but  otherwise 
the  idea  is  intelligible  and  the  parallelism  restored.  The  new  things  would  seem  to  be  the  de- 
liverance of  Jehovah’s  people  by  the  hand  of  women,  and  without  shield  or  spear. 

c 5llb  Reading  only  conjectural.  Texts  have  many  different  suggestions,  but  no  satis- 
factory solution.  As  in  the  title,  Book  of  Jashar  ( the  Righteous  One),  righteous  is  not  used  in 
the  ethical  sense. 


321 


Judg.  511]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS:  DEBORAH  [Judg.  410 


The  ral- 
ly about 
Deborah 
and 
Barak 


The 
cowards 
who  re- 
mained 
at  home 


The  bat- 
tle and 
defeat  of 
the  Ca- 
naauites 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Then  the  people  of  Jehovah  went  down  to  the 
gates,  crying,4 
12“Arise,  arise,  Deborah, 

Arise,  arise,  strike  up  the  song ! 

Arise,  Barak,  and  take  thy  captives,  thou  son 
of  Abinoam  ! ” 

13So  a remnant  went  down  against  the  powerful, 
The  people  of  Jehovah  went  down  against  the 
mighty: 

14F rom  Ephraim  they  rushed  forth  into  the  valley,h 
Thy  brother  Benjamin  among  thy  peoples, 
From  Machir  went  down  commanders. 

And  from  Zebulun  those  who  carry  the  mar- 
shal’s staff. 

15And  the  princes  of  Issachar  were  with  Deborah ; 
And  Naphtali  was  even  so  with  Barak, ‘ 

Into  the  valley  they  rushed  forth  at  his  back.2 

By  the  brooksk  of  Reuben  great  were  the  re- 
solves ! 

16Why  didst  thou  sit  among  the  sheepfolds, 
Listening  to  the  pipings  for  the  flocks  ? 

By  the  brooks  of  Reuben  there  were  great 
questionings  ! 

17Gilead  remained  beyond  the  Jordan  ; 

And  Dan,  why  does  he  stay  by1  the  ships  as 
an  alien  ? 

Asher  sits  still  by  the  shore  of  the  sea, 

And  remains  by  its  landings. 

18Zebulun  was  a people  who  exposed  their  lives 
to  deadly  peril, 

And  Naphtali  on  the  heights  of  the  open  field. 
Bless  Jehovah  ! 

19Kings  came,  they  fought ; 

Then  fought  the  kings  of  Canaan, 

At  Taanach  by  the  waters  of  Megiddo; 

They  took  no  booty  of  silver. 

20From  heaven  fought  the  stars, 

From  their  courses  fought  against  Sisera. 

21The  river  Kishon  swept  them  away. 

The  ancient  river,  the  river  Kishon. 

O my  sold,  march  on  with  strength. 


Ephraim; ite  Narratives 

10Then  Barak  called  Zeb- 
ulun and  Naphtali  together 
at  Kadesh;  and  ten  thousand 
men  followed  after  him,e 
Deborah  also  went  with  him. 

11  Now  Heber  the  Kenite 
had  separated  himself  from 
the  Kenites,  from  the  chil- 
dren of  Hobab  the  father- 
in-law  of  Moses,  and  had 
pitched  his  tent  as  far  away 
as  the  oak  of  Bezaananaim,f 
which  is  by  Kadesh. g 

12And  they  told  Sisera  The  bat- 

**  fclc  and 

that  Barak  the  son  of  Abin-  defeat  of 
oam  had  gone  up  to  Mount  naanites 
Tabor.  13Then  Sisera  sum- 
moned all  his  chariots,  nine 
hundred  chariots  of  iron, 
and  all  the  people  he  had 
from  Harosheth  of  the 
Gentiles,  to  the  river  Kishon. 
14Thereupon  Deborah  said 
to  Barak,  Arise!  for  this  is 
the  day  in  which  Jehovah 
hath  delivered  Sisera  into 
your  power.  Hath  not  Je- 
hovah gone  out  before  you  ? 

So  Barak  went  down  from 
Mount  Tafior,  with  ten 
thousand  men  following  him. 

15Then  Jehovah  threw  Sise- 
ra and  all  his  chariots,  and 
all  his  host  into  confusion  at 


d 511a  This  seems  to  introduce  the  rehearsal  of  the  acts.  The  sudden  transition  to  the  apos- 
trophe in  12  may  represent  the  poet’s  address  to  the  leaders,  but  it  was  more  probably  the  call 
of  the  people.  It  may  also  be  a reminiscence  of  their  battle  cry.  The  thought  in  llc'  12  thus 
interpreted  is  the  parallel  to  13.  Otherwise  both  stanzas  are  incomplete  and  the  suggestion 
that llc  be  placed  after  13a  is  the  only  solution. 
e 410  Heb.,  went  up  at  his  feet, 
t 411a  Or,  archers. 

e 4n  This  may  belong  to  the  story  of  Jabin  king  of  Hazor. 

h 514a  Following  Gk.  and  Theodotion.  Heb.,  From  Ephraim,  their  root  in  Amalek,  after 
thee  Benjamin  among  thy  peoples,  which  is  unintelligible.  A change  of  one  letter  gives  valley, 
instead  of  the  meaningless  Amalek,  cf.  I5.  The  word  translated  their  root  stands  where  a verb 
is  to  be  expected.  A slight  change  in  the  Heb.,  after  thee,  gives  the  reading  above. 

■ 515b  Heb.,  As  was  Issachar  so  was  Barak;  but  Issachar  is  not  found  in  Gk.  and  Lat.  Vs. 13 
requires  Naphtali  in  this  place.  The  prose  tradition  was  probably  right  in  stating  that  Barak 
was  from  Naphtali,  46'  10. 

i 515e  Heb.,  in  his  footsteps. 

k 5«d  Or,  divisions;  but  analogies  of  context  favor  brooks. 

1 517  Heb.,  live  neighbor  to. 


322 


Curse 
upon 
coward- 
ly Meroz 


Blessing 
upon 
Jael  for 
her 

bravery 
in  slay- 
ing Sise- 

ra 


The  anx- 
iety and 
expecta- 
tion in 
Sisera’s 
palace 


Epilogue 


Judg.  522]  VICTORY  OVER  THE  CANAANITES  [Judg.  415 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

“Then  did  the  horse-hoofs  resound 
With  the  galloping,  galloping™  of  their  power- 
ful steeds. 

23“Curse  Meroz,”  said  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah, 
“Curse  bitterly  its  inhabitants  ; 

Because  they  came  not  to  the  help  of  Jehovah, 
To  the  help  of  Jehovah  against  the  mighty.” 


24Blessed  among  women  shall  Jael  be. 

That  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite, 

!5Blessed  shall  she  be  above  all  nomad  women  ! 
Water  he  asked,  milk  she  gave  ; 

Curdled  milk  she  brought  him  in  a bowl  fit  for 
lords. 

26She  put  her  hand  to  the  tent-pin, 

Even  her  right  hand  to  the  workman’s  hammer ; 
And  she  struck  Sisera,  she  crushed  his  head. 
She  shattered,  she  pierced  his  temple. 

27 At  her  feet  he  bovved,  he  fell,  he  lay  still, 

At  her  feet  he  bowed,  he  fell ; 

Where  he  bowed,  there  he  fell  a victim  slain  ! 


28Through  the  window  she  peered  and  loudly 
cried. 

The  mother  of  Sisera  through  the  lattice, 
“Why  is  his  chariot  so  long  in  coming? 

Why  are  delayed  the  clatter  of  the  hoofs  of  his 
chariot-horses  ?”n 

29The  wisest  of  her  ladies  answered  her, 

Yea,  she  answered  her  own  question, 

30“Are  they  not  finding,  dividing  the  spoil? 

A woman  or  two  for  each  man  ; 

For  Sisera  a spoil  of  dyed  stuffs, 

A spoil  of  dyed  stuffs  embroidered, 

A piece  or  two  of  embroidery  for  his  neck?”0 


31“So  shall  all  thine  enemies  perish,  O Jehovah  ; 
But  they  who  love  him  shall  be  as  the  sun 
when  it  rises  in  its  invincible  splendor. 


Ephraimite  Narratives 

the  onslaught  of  Barak’s 
swordsmen,  and  Sisera  dis- 
mounted from  his  chariot, 
and  fled  on  foot.  16But 
Barak  pursued  the  chariots 
and  the  host  to  Harosheth 
of  the  Gentiles;  and  all  the 
host  of  Sisera  was  put  to  the 
sword;  not  a single  man 
was  left. 

17But  Sisera  fled  on  foot 
to  the  tent  of  Jael  the  wife 
of  Heber  the  Kenite;  for 
there  was  peace  between 
Jabin  the  king  of  Hazor  and 
the  house  of  Heber  the  Ken- 
ite. 18And  Jael  went  out  to 
meet  Sisera,  and  said  to  him. 
Turn  in,  my  lord,  turn  in  to 
me;  do  not  be  afraid.  So 
he  turned  aside  to  her  and 
went  into  the  tent,  and  she 
covered  him  with  a rug. 
19 And  he  said  to  her,  Give 
me,  I pray,  a little  water  to 
drink,  for  I am  thirsty.  So, 
opening  the  milk-skin,  she 
gave  him  a drink,  and 
covered  him.  20Then  he 
said  to  her,  Stand  in  the 
door  of  the  tent,  and  if  any 
one  comes  and  inquires  of 
you,  ‘ Is  there  any  one  here  ?’ 
say,  ‘No.’  21But  Jael,  He- 
ber’s  wife,  took  a tent-pin 
and  took  a hammer  in  her 
hand,  and  went  stealthily  to 
him  and  drove  the  pin  into 
his  temples,  so  that  it  went 
through  into  the  ground; 
for  he  was  in  a deep  sleep 
and  exhausted;  so  he  died. 
22 And  just  then  Barak  ap- 


m 522b  The  words  are  onomatopoetic,  being  intended  to  reproduce  the  galloping  of  the  horses. 
n 5®  Heb.,  chariots. 

0 530  So  Gk.  Heb.,  necks  of  the  spoil.  Syr.,  necks  of  the  spoilers. 

323 


Death  of 
Sisera  at 
the 

hands of 
Jael 


The  Mid- 
ianite 
oppres- 
sion 


Judg.  422]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS:  GIDEON 

Ephraimite  Narratives 

peared  in  pursuit  of  Sisera.  And  Jael  went  out  to  meet  him  and  said  to 
him,  Come,  I will  show  you  the  man  whom  you  are  seeking.  And  he 
went  in  with  her;  and  there  Sisera  lay  dead,  with  the  tent-pin  in  his 
temples. 


§ 140.  Gideon’s  (Jerubbaal’s)  Victory  over  the 


Midianites,  Judg.  531b-821 


Early  Judean 

Judg.  5 31bAnd  the  land  was 
at  peace  forty  years.  6 'Then 
the  Israelites  did  that  which  dis- 
pleased Jehovah ; and  Jehovah  de- 
livered them  into  the  power  of 
Midian  seven  years.  3aAnd  SO  it 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

6 2 And  the  power  of  Midian  prevailed  against  The  Mid 
Israel;  and  because  of  Midian  the  Israelites  oppres 
made  for  themselves  the  dens  which  are  in  bloa 
the  mountains,  and  the  caves  and  the 
strongholds.  3bFor  the  Midianites  and  the 


§ 140  It  has  long  been  recognized  that  the  stories  regarding  Gideon  are  not  homogeneous; 
but  the  analysis  is  peculiarly  difficult.  The  account  of  the  divine  call  of  Gideon,  in  611-24, 
leaves  no  place  for  the  call  and  signs  recorded  in  the  rest  of  the  chapter.  In  the  first  he  is  a 
mighty  hero, 12,  but  in  the  second  his  chief  characteristic  is  his  trust  and  devotion  to  the  God  of 
Israel.  In  716-22  tw0  accounts  of  a midnight  attack  seem  to  be  closely  united.  74-83  record  the 
defeat  and  pursuit  of  the  Midianite  hordes;  the  two  chiefs  have  been  captured  and  slain  and 
Gideon  has  satisfied  the  complaints  of  the  Ephraimites,  because  they  were  not  permitted  to 
share  in  the  pursuit  and  the  spoils;  but  in  84-21  Gideon,  with  his  little  band  of  three  hundred 
family  retainers,  is  just  going  to  attack  the  Midianites  and  is  refused  food  by  the  elders  of  Suc- 
coth  and  Penuel.  The  passage  proceeds  to  record  the  defeat  of  the  foes,  the  capture  and  slaughter 
of  their  two  chiefs,  and  the  vengeance  which  Gideon  took  upon  the  elders  of  Succoth  and  Penuel. 

It  is  clear  that  running  through  these  chapters  there  are  two  groups  of  narratives,  apparently 
recording  the  same  incidents  and  yet  differing  widely  in  regard  to  details.  The  version  in  84-21 
is  the  simpler  and  more  primitive.  The  three  hundred  followers  are  the  Abiezrites,  Gideon’s 
clansmen,  and  the  personal  motive  which  incites  them  to  the  bold  attack  is  that  the  Midianite 
leaders  have  killed  Gideon’s  brothers  at  Tabor,  1S.  By  some  scholars  this  passage  is  regarded 
as  a torso ; but  6s4,  which  is  out  of  harmony  with  the  representation  of  its  context,  tells  of  how 
Gideon  summoned  the  Abiezrites  as  the  spirit  of  Jehovah  came  upon  him,  very  much  as  it  later 
came  upon  Saul,  I Sam.  IO9-13.  The  natural  premise  to  this  is  the  primitive  account  of  the  visit 
of  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  in  6U_24.  The  portrait  which  it  gives  of  Gideon  as  a mighty  hero  in 12 
is  in  perfect  keeping  with  his  later  acts  in  6M,  84-21.  The  introduction  to  the  Gideon  stories,  61-10, 
is  from  the  late  prophetic  editor  of  Judg.;  but  as  usual  he  appears  to  have  embodied  extracts 
from  the  older  sources,  which  can  be  distinguished  by  their  similarity  in  language  and  represen- 
tation to  the  subsequent  narratives.  The  kinship  of  this  primitive  version  of  the  Gideon  stories 
is  throughout  with  the  early  Judean  prophetic  traditions. 

The  other  group  of  stories  reflects  the  conceptions  of  a later  and  more  religious  age.  Num- 
bers and  the  supernatural  element  are  greatly  increased.  Like  a swarm  of  locusts,  the  Mid- 
ianites are  represented  as  sweeping  over  the  entire  land  of  Canaan  even  to  Gaza,  64-  5b.  Gideon 
first  distinguishes  himself  by  his  zeal  in  destroying  the  altar  of  Baal,  625-27.  The  -words  of  his 
father  in  3°-32  recall  the  familiar  story  of  Elijah’s  contest  with  the  prophets  of  Baal  on  Mount 
Carmel,  I Kgs.  18.  The  sign  in  36-40  is  to  assure  Gideon  that  God  himself  will  deliver  the  Midian- 
ites into  his  hand.  Not  one  clan  but  several  tribes  are  represented  as  being  summoned,  and 
they  assemble  in  great  numbers.  Evidently  a permanent  element  in  the  tradition  was  that 
Gideon  secured  his  great  victory  with  three  hundred  men.  The  story  in  72~®  harmonizes  these 
two  otherwise  discordant  elements  and  still  further  emphasizes  Jehovah’s  role  in  securing  the 
victory.  Gideon’s  faith  is  further  fortified  by  the  divine  message  recorded  in  79-16. 

The  presence  of  duplicates  in  17a  and  17b,  in  1:ib  and  20a,  in  21  and  decided  variations  in  the 
representation  in  16-22,  and  the  obvious  difficulty  of  carrying  and  manipulating  at  the  same  time 
trumpets  and  jars  with  torches  inside — especially  as  in  the  sequel  it  is  evident  that  each  man 
also  carried  a sword — have  suggested  to  many  that  at  this  point  two  duplicate  versions  have 
been  combined.  The  analysis  certainly  simplifies  the  story.  The  trumpets  appear  to  have 
belonged  to  the  second  version ; the  Hebrews  simply  encircle  the  camp,  21,  blow  their  trumpets, 
as  in  the  Ephraimite  tradition  of  the  capture  of  Jericho,  § 110,  and  Jehovah  sets  every  man’s 
sword  against  his  fellow,  22.  To  the  same  version  the  account,  in  722b,  83,-of  the  general  rally  of 
the  tribes  in  pursuit,  the  sweeping  victory,  and  the  complaints  of  the  Ephraimites  furnishes  the 
natural  sequel.  In  the  process  of  combining  the  two  narratives  it  would  seem  that  the  editor 
fused  the  older  account  of  the  attack  with  the  later,  716'23,  leaving  only  the  surprisingly  curtailed 
description  in  8U.  Restoring  what  appears  to  have  been  the  original  earlier  tradition  of  the 
attack  to  its  proper  place,  the  narrative  at  once  becomes  complete  and  harmonious.  Here  the 
flashing  torches  held  in  the  left  hands  of  the  Hebrew  warriors  terrify  the  enemy,  and  the  swords 
in  their  right  put  the  Midianites  to  flight,  719a.  '■ 20- 21b. 

The  question  remains,  From  what  source  was  the  second  version  taken  ? General  analogies, 
the  preference  for  the  name  God,  cf.  especially  636-40,  the  prominence  of  the  prophet,  the  dream, 

324 


Judg.  63a]  VICTORY  OVER  THE  MIDIANITES  [Judg.  63b 


Early  Judean 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 


The  call 
of  Gid- 
eon to 
repel  the 
Midian- 
ites 


was,  when  Israel  had  sown, 
that  the  Midianites  would 
come  up,  4band  leave  no 
sustenance  in  Israel,  neither 
sheep  nor  ox  nor  ass.  5aFor 
they  would  come  up  with  their 
cattle  and  their  tents.  6aAnd 
Israel  was  greatly  reduced  be- 
cause of  Midian. 

11  And  the  Messenger  of  Je- 
hovah came  and  sat  down  un- 
der the  oak  which  was  in  Oph- 
rah,  that  belonged  to  Joash 
the  Abiezrite ; and  his  son  Gid- 
eon was  beating  out  wheat  in 
the  wine-press,  to  hide  it  from 
the  Midianites.  12And  the 
Messenger  of  Jehovah  ap- 
peared to  him,  and  said  to  him 
Jehovah  is  with  you,  valiant 
hero!  13 And  Gideon  said  to 
him,  O,  my  Lord,  if  Jehovah 
is  with  us,  why  then  has  all 
this  befallen  US?  and  where  are 
all  his  wonderful  works  of  which 
our  fathers  told  us,  saying,  Did  not 
Jehovah  bring  us  up  from  Egypt  ?s 
but  now  Jehovah  hath  cast  us 
off  and  delivered  us  into  the 
power  of  Midian.  14Then  Je- 
hovah turned  to  him  and  said, 
Go  in  this  might  of  thine  and 
save  Israel  from  the  power  of 
Midian ; have  I not  sent  thee  ? 
15But  he  said  to  him,  O, 
Lord,  how  shall  I save  Israel  ? 
Behold,  my  family  is  the  poor- 
est in  Manasseh,  and  I am  the 


Amalekites,  and  the  children  of  the  East,p 
came  up  against  them,  4aand  encamped 
against  them,  and  destroyed  the  produce  of 
the  earth  as  far  as  the  vicinity  of  Gaza. 
5bThey  came  in  like  locusts  in  number; 
both  they  and  their  camels  were  innumer- 
able; and  they  came  into  the  land  to  de- 
stroy it. 

6bThen  the  Israelites  cried  to  Jehovah.  7And  it  The 
came  to  pass  when  the  Israelites  cried  to  Je-  ofetheBt 
hovah  on  account  of  Midian,  8that  Jehovah  known 
sent  a prophet  to  the  Israelites,  and  he  said  to  of°feho- 
them,  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  vah 
I brought  you  up  from  Egypt,  and  brought 
you  forth  out  of  the  house  of  bondage;  9and 
I delivered  you  from  the  power  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, from  the  hand  of  all  who  oppressed 
you,  and  drove  them  out  from  before  you, 
and  gave  you  their  land;  10and  I said  to 
you  I am  Jehovah  your  God;  you  shall  not 
reverence  the  gods  of  the  Amorites,  in 
whose  land  you  dwell.  But  you  have 
not  hearkened  to  my  voice. 

25 And  it  came  to  pass  the  same  night,  Thecaii 
that  Jehovah  said  to  [Gideon],  Take  thy  eon  to  re- 
father’s  bullock,  even  the  secondr  bullock  Midian- 
seven  years  old,  and  throw  down  the  altar 
of  Baal  that  belongs  to  thy  father  and  cut 
down  the  Asherah  which  is  by  it;  26and  build 
an  altar  to  Jehovah  thy  God  upon  the  top  of 
this  stronghold,  in  the  usual  way,8  and  take 
the  second  bullock,  and  offer  a burnt-offer- 
ing with  the  wood  of  the  Asherah  which 
thou  shalt  cut  down. 

27Then  Gideon  took  ten  men  of  his  His  de- 
servants, and  did  as  Jehovah  had  bidden  tionof 

the  altar 

of  Baai 


and  of  God’s  direct  guidance  and  protection  of  his  people,  all  point  to  the  Ephraimite  source. 
The  wide  variations  from  the  Judean,  the  magnitude  of  the  numbers  and  the  markedly  super- 
natural coloring,  however,  strongly  suggest  that  it  belongs  to  a later  stratum  of  these  narratives. 
Otherwise  it  is  necessary  to  assume  that  it  has  been  extensively  supplemented  and  revised  at 
almost  every  point,  e.  y.,  6;i\  7-'3.  That  the  later  embodies  an  early  Ephraimite  version  is  also 
clear.  Traces  of  this  may  be  found  in  716,  83-  29 . 

p 63b  Possibly  here  and  in  33,  and  the  Amalekites  and  the  children  of  the  East,  is  an  editorial 
addition. 

s 613  Apparently  an  editorial  addition. 

r 625  The  context  speaks  of  only  one  bullock.  Various  suggestions  have  been  offered  for  the 
solutions  of  the  problems  presented  by  the  Heb.  text.  The  original  may  have  read,  fat  bullock, 
or  after  rt , take  ten  men  thy  servants  and  a bullock  seven  years  old, 

» 62“  The  exact  meaning  of  the  Heb.  is  not  clear. 


325 


HEBREW  DELIVERERS:  GIDEON 


JUDG.  615] 


[JUDG.  627 


Early  Judean 

most  insignificant  in  my  fa- 
ther’s house.  16And  Jehovah 
said  to  him,  Surely  I will  be 
with  thee,  and  thou  shalt  smite 
the  Midianites  as  one  man. 
17Then  he  said  to  him,  If  now 
I have  found  favor  in  thy  sight, 
then  show  me  a sign  that  it  is 
thou  who  art  talking  with  me.* 
18Do  not  go  from  here,  1 pray, 
until  I come  to  thee,  and 
bring  forth  my  offering,11  and 
lay  it  before  thee.  And  he  said 
I will  wait  until  thou  comest 
back.  19So  Gideon  went  in  and 
prepared  a kid,  and  unleaven- 
ed cakes  of  an  ephahv  of  flour; 
he  put  the  flesh  in  a basket, 
and  the  broth  in  a pot,  and 
brought  out  to  him  under  the 
oak,  and  presented  it.  20And 
the  Messenger  of  God  said  to 
him,  Take  the  flesh  and  the 
unleavened  cakes,  and  lay 
them  upon  this  rock,  and  pour 
out  the  broth.  And  he  did  so. 
21Then  the  Messenger  of  Jeho- 
vah reached  out  the  end  of  the 
staff  which  was  in  his  hand, 
and  touched  the  flesh  and  the 
unleavened  cakes,  and  fire 
went  up  out  of  the  rock  and 
consumed  the  flesh  and  the  un- 
leavened cakes.w  Then  the 
Messenger  of  Jehovah  van- 
ished from  his  sight.3,  22So 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 
him.  But  since  he  could  not  do  it  by 
day  for  fear  of  his  father’s  household  and 
the  men  of  the  city,  he  did  it  by  night. 

28And  when  the  men  of  the  city  arose  early 
in  the  morning,  behold,  the  altar  of  Baal  was 
broken  down,  and  the  Asherah  which  was 
by  it  was  cut  down,  and  the  second  bullock 
was  offered  upon  the  altar  that  was  built. 

29 And  they  said  to  one  another,  Who  has 
done  this?  And  when  they  found  upon 
inquiry  that  Gideon  the  son  of  Joash  had 
done  this  thing,  30the  men  of  the  city  said 
to  Joash,  Bring  out  your  son  that  he  may 
die  because  he  has  broken  down  the  altar 
of  Baal,  and  because  he  has  cut  down  the 
Asherah  which  was  by  it.  31But  Joash  said 
to  all  who  were  arrayed  against  him,  Will 
you  take  up  the  quarrel  for  Baal?  or  will 
you  save  him  ? lie  who  takes  up  his  quarrel, 
shall  be  put  to  death  by  morning;  if  he  is 
a god  let  him  take  up  his  quarrel  himself, 
because  his  altar  has  been  broken  down. 
32Therefore  on  that  day  he  called  him  Je- 
rubbaal  [Let  Baal  contend], b saying,  Let 
Baal  contend  against  him,  because  he  has 
broken  down  his  altar. 

33Then  all  the  Midianites  and  the  His  rails 
Amalekites  and  the  children  of  the  East  tribes 
assembled  and  passed  over  and  encamped 
in  the  valley  of  Jezreel.  35And  [Gideon] 
sent  messengers  throughout  all  Manasseh; 
and  they  also  assembled  after  him;  and  he 
sent  messengers  to  Asher,  and  to  Zebulun, 
and  to  Naphtali;  and  they  came  up  to  meet 
them. 

36Then  Gideon  said  to  God,  If  thou  wilt 


t 614-17  The  introduction  of  Jehovah  as  the  speaker  and  the  one  addressed  instead  of  the 
Messenger  of  Jehovah,  who  appears  elsewhere  in  the  narrative,  is  either  due  to  the  editor  or 
else  is  a survival  of  an  earlier  and  more  anthropomorphic  form  of  the  tradition.  For  a similar 
phenomenon,  cf.  § 18. 

11  61S  As  in  Gen.  18,  Gideon’s  purpose  in  the  original  narrative  appears  to  have  been  to  pro- 
vide food  for  his  guest.  A later  editor  transformed  it  into  an  offering,  possibly  also  adding 19b- 20. 

” 619  An  ephah  is  equivalent  to  at  least  a bushel. 

- 621  Cf.  I Kgs.  1838,  II  Chrs.  71,  Lev.  924,  II  Mac.  210-13. 

" 621b  Possibly  introduced  from  Judg.  1320.  The  context  is  more  complete  without  this  clause. 

*>  6s2  Like  most  of  the  popular  etymologies,  this  is  not  exact.  The  meaning  Baal  contends 
or  establishes  is  more  probable.  Like  Eshbaal  and  Meribaal,  Jerubbaal  was  probably  the  original 
name  of  the  deliverer  of  the  Abiezrites.  Except  in  these  passages  and  71,  829,  the  form  Gideon  is 
always  used  in  6l—  S34 ; but  in  9 Jerubbaal.  The  editorial  addition  8s5  introduces  the  transition 
and  indicates  that  the  change  is  due  to  a later  hand.  Jerubbaal  is  the  name  by  which  the  hero 
is  known  elsewhere  in  the  O.T.,  1 Sam.  12u  and  II  Sam.  1 121. 

326 


His  rally 

of  his 
tribes- 
men 


The  pur- 
suit of 
the  Mid- 
ianites 
and  re- 
fusal of 
Succoth 
and  Pe- 
nuel  to 
furnish 
food 


Judg.  622]  VICTORY  OVER  THE  MIDIANITES  [Judg.  636 


Early  Judean 

Gideon  saw  that  it  had  been 
the  Messenger  of  Jehovah; 
and  Gideon  said,  Alas,  O 
Lord  Jehovah!  because  I have 
seen  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah 
face  to  face!  23But  Jehovah 
said  to  him,  Peace  be  to  thee; 
do  not  be  afraid;  thou  shalt 
not  die.  24Then  Gideon  built 
an  altar  there  to  Jehovah,  and 
called  it  Jehovah-shalom  [Je- 
hovah is  well-disposed].  Until 
to-day  it  is  still  in  Ophrah  of 
the  Abiezrites. 

34 And  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah 
came  upon  Gideon  and  he 
blew  a trumpet  and  Abiezer  as- 
sembled under  his  leadership. 

8 4And  Gideon  came  to  the 
Jordan,  and  passed  over,  he 
and  the  three  hundred  men 
who  were  with  him,  faint,  yet 
pursuing.  5 And  he  said  to  the 
men  of  Succoth,  Give,  I pray 
you,  loaves  of  bread  to  the 
people  who  follow  me;  for 
they  are  faint  and  I am  pursu- 
ing after  Zebah  andZalmunna, 
the  kings  of  Midian.  6But  the 
princes  of  Succoth  said,  Are 
Zebah  and  Zalmunna  already 
in  your  power  that  we  should 
give  bread  to  your  army  ? 
7Then  Gideon  said,  Therefore 
when  Jehovah  hath  delivered 
Zebah  and  Zalmunna  into  my 
power,  I will  thresh  your  flesh 
with  thorns  of  the  wilderness 
and  with  briers.  8And  he  went 
up  from  there  to  Penuel,  and 
made  the  same  request  of 
them;  and  the  men  of  Penuel 
returned  the  same  answer  as 
the  men  of  Succoth.  9Then 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 
really  save  Israel  through  me,  as  thou  hast  The  sign 
promised,  37see,  I will  put  a fleece  of  a^ce6 
wool  on  the  threshing-floor;  if  there  is  dew 
on  the  fleece  only,  and  it  is  dry  upon  all  the 
ground,  then  I shall  know  that  thou  wilt 
save  Israel  by  my  hand,  as  thou  hast  prom- 
ised. 38And  so  it  was;  for  he  rose  up  early 
in  the  morning,  and  squeezed  the  fleece  and 
wrung  the  dew  out  of  the  fleece,  a bowlful 
of  water.  39And  Gideon  said  to  God,  Let 
not  thine  anger  be  aroused  against  me,  and 
I will  speak  but  this  once  more;  let  me  make 
trial,  I pray  thee,  only  this  once  more  with 
the  fleece;  let  it  now  be  dry  only  upon  the 
fleece,  and  upon  all  the  ground  let  there  be 
dew.  40 And  God  did  so  that  night;  for 
it  was  dry  upon  the  fleece  only,  and  there 
was  dew  on  all  the  ground. 

7 JThen  Jerubbaal  (that  is  Gideon)  and  all  The  re- 
the  people  who  were  with  him,  arose  early,  of  hisS 
and  encamped  near  En-harod;  and  the  e?sto" 
camp  of  Midian  was  on  the  north  side  of  him,  hundred 
by  the  hill  of  Moreh,  in  the  valley.  2And  mened 
Jehovah  said  to  Gideon,  The  people  who 
are  with  thee  are  too  many  for  me  to  give 
the  Midianites  into  their  power,  lest  Israel 
should  vaunt  itself  against  me,  saying,  ‘ Mine 
own  power  has  saved  me.’  3Now  therefore 
proclaim  in  the  hearing  of  the  people,  ‘Who- 
ever is  afraid  and  timid  let  him  return.’  And 
Gideon  separated0  them  so  that  of  the  people 
twenty-two  thousand  returned,  but  ten 
thousand  remained.  4Then  Jehovah  said  to 
Gideon,  The  people  are  yet  too  many;  bring 
them  down  to  the  water,  and  I will  separate 
them  for  thee  there ; and  it  shall  be  that  every 
one  of  whom  I say  to  thee,  ‘This  one  shall  go 
with  thee,’  shall  go  with  thee;  and  every  one 
of  whom  I say  to  thee,  ‘This  one  shall  not  go 
with  thee,’  that  one  shall  not  go.  5So  he 
brought  the  people  down  to  the  water.  And 
Jehovah  said  to  Gideon,  Every  one  who  laps 
the  water  with  his  tongue  as  a dog  laps,  shalt 
thou  put  by  himself,  and  every  one  who 


° 73  Heb.  reads,  and  depart  from  Mount  Gilead.  By  the  transposition  of  one  letter,  how- 
ever, it  reads  as  in  4,  separate.  Gilead  seems  also  to  be  a copyist’s  error  for  Gideon. 


327 


Gideon’s 
strategy 
and  suc- 
cessful 
night  at- 
tack on 
the  Mid- 
ianites 


Judg.  89]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS  ; GIDEON  [Judg.  7s 


Early  Judean 

he  said  also  to  the  men  of  Pe- 
nuel,  When  I come  back  vic- 
torious, I will  break  down 
this  tower. 

10Now  Zebah  and  Zalmun- 
na  were  in  Karkor,  and  their 
hosts  with  them,  about  fifteen 
thousand  men,  all  that  were  left 
of  all  the  hosts  of  the  children  of 
the  East,  for  there  had  fallen  a 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand  men 
of  war.f 

11  And  Gideon  went  up  by 
the  caravan  roadg  east  of  No- 
bah  and  Jogbehah,  and  at- 
tacked the  host,  as  it  lay  with- 
out fear  of  attack.  7 16a’  cAnd 
he  divided  the  three  hundred 
men  into  three  companies* *1  and 
gave  them  empty  jars  with 
torches  within  the  jars.  17aAnd 
he  said,  Look  at  me  and  do  as 
I do,  18band  say,  ‘For  Jehovah 
and  Gideon.’  19a>cSo  Gideon 
and  the  hundred  men  with 
him  came  to  the  camp  in  the 
beginning  of  the  middle  watch, 
when  it  had  just  been  set,  and 
broke  in  pieces  the  jars  in 
their  hands.  20 And  the  three 
companies  broke  their  jars, 
and  took  the  torches  in  their 
left  hands  and  their  swords  in 
their  right  and  cried,  For  Je- 
hovah and  Gideon.1  21bAnd 
the  entire  host  awakened  and 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

kneels  down  on  his  knees  to  drink,  shalt  thou 
put  by  himself. d 6And  the  number  of  those 
who  lapped,  putting  their  hand  to  their 
mouth, e was  three  hundred  men;  but  all  the 
rest  of  the  people  knelt  down  on  their  knees 
to  drink  water.  7And  Jehovah  said  to 
Gideon,  By  the  three  hundred  men  who 
lapped  I will  save  you,  and  deliver  the  Midi- 
anites  into  your  power;  and  let  all  the  rest  of 
the  people  go  home.  8So  the  people  took 
provisions  in  their  hands  and  their  trumpets; 
and  he  sent  all  the  men  of  Israel  every  man  to 
his  home,  retaining  only  the  three  hundred 
men. 

Now  the  camp  of  Midian  was  beneath  flis^wsit 
him  in  the  valley.  9In  that  night  Jehovah  Midian- 
said  to  him,  Arise,  descend  on  the  camp ; for  and°theP 
1 have  delivered  it  into  your  power.  10But  agingr" 
if  you  are  afraid  to  descend  upon  it,  go  down  dream 
with  Purah  your  servant  to  the  camp;  lxand 
you  will  hear  what  they  are  saying;  and  after- 
wards you  will  have  courage  to  descend  upon 
the  camp.  Then  he  went  down  with  Purah 
his  servant  to  the  outskirts  of  the  armed  men 
who  were  in  the  camp.  12Now  the  Midian- 
ites  and  the  Amalekites  and  all  the  children 
of  the  East  lay  along  in  the  valley  like  locusts 
in  multitude;  and  their  camels  were  innumer- 
able, as  the  sand  which  is  upon  the  sea-shore 
in  number.  13 And  just  as  Gideon  came,  a 
man  was  telling  a dream  to  his  comrade;  and 
he  said,  I just  dreamed  that  a cake  of  barley 
bread  tumbled  into  the  camp  of  Midian,  and 
came  to  the  tent,  and  struck  it  so  that  it  fell, 
and  it  turned  it  upside  down  J 14And  his  com- 


A 75  This  last  clause  is  not  found  in  Heb.,  but  is  represented  in  many  Gk.  texts  and  is  de- 
manded by  the  context. 

• 76  Many  Gk.  texts  omit  putting  their  hands  to  their  mouth.  It  gives  a more  intelligible 
meaning. 

f giob  plainly  an  element  from  a still  later  form  of  the  tradition.  The  book  of  Chrs.  pre- 
sents many  similar  illustrations  of  how  numbers  increase  as  traditions  are  transmitted. 

k 8lls  Heb.,  road  of  those  who  lived  in  tents. 

h 716a  The  division  into  three  companies  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  the  Judean  version,  for  in 
the  Ephraimite  they  completely  encircle  the  camp  of  the  Midianites. 

i 720  The  editor  who  combined  the  two  accounts  of  the  strategy  recognized  the  difficulties  of 
carrying  both  trumpets  and  jars  with  torches  inside,  and  in  apparently  endeavors  to  harmo- 
nize the  two ; the  three  companies  blew  the  trumpets  and  broke  the  jars  and  held  the  torches  in  their 
left  hands  arid  the  trumpets  in  their  right  wherewith  to  blow,  and  they  cried.  The  sword  of  Jehovah 
and  Gideon.  A large  part  of  this  verse  is  mere  repetition  of  19  and  probably  took  the  place  of 
the  restored  reading  above. 

i 713  So  Gk.  A late  scribe  has  added  to  Heb.,  and  the  tent  lay  flat. 

328 


His  capt- 
ure of 
the  Mid- 
ianite 
chiefs 


His  re- 
turn and 
punish- 
ment of 
Succoth 
and  Pe- 
nuel 


Blood- 
ven- 
geance 
upon  the 
Midian- 
ite 

chiefs 


Judg.  721b]  VICTORY  OVER  THE  MIDIANITES  [Judg.  714 


Early  Judean 

they  sounded  the  alarm  and 
fled. 

8 12And  Zebah  and  Zal- 
munna fled;  but  he  pursued 
them  and  captured  the  two 
kings  of  Midian,  Zebah  and 
Zalmunna,  and  threw  all  the 
host  into  a panic. 

13Then  Gideon  the  son  of 
Joash  returned  from  the  battle 
from  the  ascent  of  Heres. 
14And  he  captured  a young 
man  of  the  men  of  Succoth, 
and  inquired  of  him,  and  he 
gave  him  a list  of  the  princes 
of  Succoth,  and  its  elders, 
seventy-seven  men.  15  A n d 
when  he  came  to  the  men  of 
Succoth,  he  said,  Behold 
Zebah  and  Zalmunna  concern- 
ing whom  you  taunted  me, 
saying,  ‘Are  Zebah  and  Zal- 
munna already  in  your  power 
that  we  should  give  bread  to 
your  exhausted  men  ?’  16Then 
he  took  the  elders  of  the  city, 
and  thorns  of  the  wilderness 
and  briers,  and  he  threshed™ 
the  men  of  Succoth  upon 
them.  17He  also  broke  down 
the  tower  of  Penuel,  and  slew 
the  men  of  the  city. 

18Then  said  he  to  Zebah  and 
Zalmunna,  What  kind  of  men 
were  they  whom  you  slew  at 
Tabor?  And  they  answered 
they  were  just  like  you;  each 
one  resembled  the  children 
of  a king.  19And  he  said, 
They  were  my  brothers,  the 
sons  of  my  mother.  As  Jeho- 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 
rade  answered  and  said,  This  is  nothing  else 
than  the  sword  of  Gideon  the  son  of  Joash,  k the 
men  of  Israel;  into  his  power  God  hath  de- 
livered Midian,  and  all  the  host. 

15And  when  Gideon  heard  the  telling  of  His 
the  dream,  and  its  interpretation,  he  wor-  and'suc- 
shipped;  then  he  returned  into  the  camp  of  nightat- 
Israel,  and  said,  Arise,  for  Jehovah  hath  de-  thcVi’id- 
livered  into  your  power  the  host  of  Midian.  ianites 
16bAnd  he  put  trumpets  into  the  hands  of 
all  of  them,  17band  said  to  them,  When  I 
come  to  the  outskirts  of  the  camp,  then  do 
exactly  as  I do.  18aWhen  I and  all  who 
are  with  me  blow  the  trumpet,  then  do  you 
also  blow  the  trumpets  all  about  the  camp. 

19bSo  they  came  to  the  outskirts  of  the  camp 
and  blew  the  trumpets.  21aAnd  they  stood 
each  one  where  he  was,  about  the  camp; 

22and  when  they  blew  the  three  hundred 
trumpets,  Jehovah  set  every  man’s  sword 
against  his  comrade,  throughout  the  entire 
camp;  and  the  host  fled  as  far  as  Beth- 
shittah  toward  Zererah,  as  far  as  the  brink 
of  Abel-meholah,  near  Tabbath. 

23 And  the  men  of  Israel  assembled  from  The  pur 
Naphtali,  and  from  Asher,  and  from  all  Ma-  capture 
nasseh,  and  pursued  Midian.  24And  Gideon  Midian- 
sent  messengers  throughout  all  the  hill-  chiefs 
country  of  Ephraim,  saying,  Come  down 
against  Midian,  and  seize  against  them  the 
waterways,  as  far  as  Beth-barah  and  the 
Jordan.  25And  they  captured  the  two 
princes  of  Midian,  Oreb  and  Zeeb;  and 
they  slew  Oreb  at  the  rock  of  Oreb,  and 
Zeeb  they  slew  at  the  wine-press  of  Zeeb 
and  pursued  Midian  ; and  they  brought  the  heads 
of  Oreb  and  Zeeb  to  Gideon  beyond  the  Jordan.1 


8 JAnd  the  men  of  Ephraim  said  to  Appeas- 


him,  Why  have  you  treated  us  in  this  way,  j ealous 


that  you  did  not  call  us  when  you  went  to  ^unites 
fight  with  Midian?  And  they  quarrelled 


it  7h  ^is  verse  has  apparently  been  retouched  by  the  same  editor  as  20.  Cf.  note  on  that 
verse. 

l 725b  This  verse  has  no  meaning  except  as  an  editorial  attempt  to  harmonize  the  two 
accounts,  for  in  one  the  attack  is  made  west  of  the  Jordan,  and  in  the  other  on  the  east. 

m 816  Heb.,  taught.  Gk.,  Syr.  and  Lat.  all  convey  the  idea  of  inflicting  torture  by  throwing 
the  victim  down  upon  thorns  and  then  trampling  upon  him  as  the  oriental  threshing-sledge 
goes  over  the  grain  on  the  threshing-floor.  This  corresponds  to  the  threat  in  87.  Cf.  II  Kgs.  137. 

329 


HEBREW  DELIVERERS:  GIDEON 


JUDG.  819] 


[JUDG.  81 


Early  Judean 

vah  liveth,  if  you  had  saved 
them  alive,  I would  not  now 
slay  you.  20Then  he  said  to 
Jether  his  first-born,  Up  and 
slay  them.  But  the  youth  did 
not  draw  his  sword;  because  he 
was  afraid,  since  he  was  yet  a 
youth.  21Then  Zebah  and  Zal- 
munna  said,  Rise  yourself  and 
fall  upon  us;  for  a man  has  a 
man’s  strength.  So  Gideon 
arose  and  slew  Zebah  and  Zal- 
munna,  and  took  the  crescents 
that  were  on  their  camels’ 
necks. 


Later  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 
with  him  violently.  2But  he  said  to  them. 
What  have  I now  done  in  comparison  with 
you?  Is  not  the  gleaning  of  the  grapes 
of  Ephraim  better  than  the  vintage  of 
Abiezer?  3God  hath  delivered  into  your 
power  the  princes  of  Midian,  Oreb  and 
Zeeb;  and  what  was  I able  to  do  in  com- 
parison with  you?  So  their  anger  against 
him  was  appeased,  when  he  said  that. 


§ 141.  Sanctuary  and  Rule  of  Gideon,  Judg.  S22*32 


Early  Judean  Prophetic 

Origin  Judg.  8 24And  Gideon  said  to  [the  Abiezrites],  I 
idol  in  will  make  a request  of  you,  that  you  give  me  every 
capital  man  the  ear-rings  from  his  spoil.  (For  they  had 
Ophrah  g0jqen  ear.rjngS  because  they  were  Ishmaelites). 
25And  they  answered.  We  will  willingly  give  them. 
So  they  spread  a garment,  and  each  man  cast  into  it 
the  ear-rings  from  his  spoil.  26 And  the  weight  of  the 
golden  ear-rings  for  which  he  had  asked  was  seventeen 
hundred  shekels  of  gold;  besides  the  crescents,  and  the 
pendants,  and  the  purple  raiment  that  was  on  the  kings  of 
Midian,  and  besides  the  chains  which  were  about  their  camels’ 
necks.  27 And  Gideon  made  it  into  an  ephod,  and  put 
it  in  his  city  Ophrah;  and  all  Israel  disloyally  went  after 
it  there ; and  it  became  a snare  to  Gideon  and  his  house. 

Keign  28Thus  the  Midianites  were  subdued  by  the  Israelites  and 
§y<ofamr  did  no4  up  their  heads  any  more.  And  the  land  was  at 
Gideon  peace  forty  years  in  the  days  of  Gideon.  30 And  Gideon 
had  seventy  sons  whom  he  had  begotten  ;m  for  he  had 
many  wives.  31And  his  concubine,  who  was  in  She- 


Later  Ephraimite 

Narratives 

8 22Then  the  men  offer  of 
of  Israel  said  to  Gid-  shnfto6 
eon,  Rule  over  us,  Gideon 
both  you  and  your 
son,  and  your  son’s 
son  also;  for  you 
have  saved  us  from 
the  power  of  Midian. 

23But  Gideon  said  to 
them,  I will  not  rule 
over  you,  neither 
shall  my  son  rule 
over  you;  Jehovah 
shall  rule  over  you. 

29So  Jerubbaal,  the 
son  of  Joash,  went 


§ 141  Vss.  2-1-27  are  closely  connected  with  the  Judean  account  of  the  victory  of  the  Abiez- 

rites in  84'21.  The  peculiar  use  of  Ishmaelites  in  24  as  a synonym  of  Arabian  traders  is  also 

characteristic  of  the  same  source.  Cf.  note  § 45.  It  also  alone  represents  its  heroes  as  setting  up 

ephod-idols.  The  censure  in  278  and  the  resume  in  28  are  in  the  spirit  and  have  the  phraseology 

of  the  late  prophetic  editor.  The  form  of  the  epitome  in  3°-32  may  be  due  to  a later  editor,  but 

the  facts  and  most  of  the  phrases  are  common  to  the  early  Judean  source,  cf.  95.  In  22  appears 
the  designation  men  of  Israel  which  has  already  been  employed  in  the  Ephraimite  narratives, 

723,  cf. 14.  It  is  also  in  keeping  with  the  representation  of  that  source,  but  not  of  the  Judean, 

where  only  Gideon  and  the  Abiezrites  appear.  The  condemnation  of  the  kingship  and  the 

theocratic  idea  reflected  in  23  are  also  peculiar  to  the  Ephraimite  narratives,  and  especially  the 

later  strands.  Of.  Hos.  84,  13u.  and  the  later  Ephraimite  parallels,  I Sam.  87 * * * *,  1019,  1212 *.  For 

the  late  prophetic  conception  of  the  kingship,  cf.  Dt.  1714-20.  The  sequel  of  23  is  ",  which  in 

turn  is  quite  unrelated  to  its  context.  This  citation  from  a later  source  may  well  have  sup- 

planted an  older  narrative  which  told  of  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  Gideon,  which 
is  implied  in  the  Judean  parallel  and  in  9. 

“ 830  A phrase  peculiar  to  the  late  priestly  source.  Cf.  Gen.  4629,  Ex.  1‘. 

330 


Editori- 
al intro- 
duction 


Judg.  831]  RULE  OF  GIDEON 

Early  Judean  Prophetic 

ahem,  also  bore  him  a son,  and  he  called  his  name 
Abimelech.  32And  Gideon,  the  son  of  Joash,  died 
in  a good  old  age,  and  was  buried  in  the  sepulchre 
of  Joash  his  father  in  Ophrah  of  the  Abiezrites. 

§ 142.  Kingdom  and  Reign  of  Abimelech, 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

9 6Now  all  the  men  of  Shechem  assembled  and 
all  Beth-Millo  and  went  and  made  Abimelech 
king  by  the  oak  of  the  sacred  pillar11  which  is  at 
Shechem.  7And  when  they  told  Jotham  that  the 
men  of  Shechem  had  made  Abimelech  king,  he 
went  and  stood  on  the  top  of  Mount  Gerizim, 
and  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  and  said  to 
them,  Hearken  to  me,  you  men  of  Shechem,  that 


Early  Judean 

Judg.  8 33Now  it  came  to 
pass  as  soon  as  Gideon  was 
dead,  that  the  Israelites  turned 
again,  and  disloyally  went 
after  Baals,  and  made  Baal- 
berith  their  god.  34And  the 
Israelites  did  not  remember 
Jehovah  their  God,  who  had 
delivered  them  from  the  pow- 
er of  all  their  enemies  on 
every  side ; 35neither  did  they 


[Judg.  829 

Later  Ephraimite 
Narratives 

and  dwelt  in  his  own 
house. 


Judg.  8S5-957 


§ 142  The  stories  regarding  the  rule  of  Gideon’s  son  Abimelech  bear  on  their  face  the  evi- 
dence of  their  antiquity.  Their  representation  accords  perfectly  with  what  is  known  from 
other  ancient  sources  regarding  conditions  during  the  period  of  settlement.  As  9 now  reads, 
however,  the  account  of  Abimelech ’s  contest  with  the  Shechemites  is  exceedingly  confused. 
In  40-  41,  for  example,  the  rebellion  has  been  put  down  and  peace  restored ; but  42-45,  without  any 
preface,  suddenly  continue  the  detailed  account  of  the  engagement,  concluding  in  45  with  the 
statement  that  the  people  were  captured  and  slain  and  the  city  of  Shechem  sowed  with  salt. 
Vss.  46-49  tell  of  still  another  engagement,  concluding  with  a description  of  the  destruction  of 
the  tower  of  Shechem.  Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  eliminate  the  inconsistencies  by 
transpositions  or  recensions  of  the  text.  The  real  solution  of  the  difficulties  seems  to  be  the 
recognition  of  two  distinct  cycles  of  Abimelech  stories. 

In  the  one  Abimelech  figures  as  the  chief  offender,  and  the  just  judgment  that  overtook  him 
is  recounted ; in  the  other  the  men  of  Shechem  are  the  central  figures,  and  to  them  alone  retribu- 
tion is  meted  out.  In  the  one  which  tells  of  the  conflict  with  the  Shechemites, 26-41,  Gaal  appears 
as  the  leader  of  the  insurrection.  Zebul  the  governor  of  Shechem  remains  loyal  to  his  king  and 
reports  the  acts  of  Gaal,  and  in  the  attack  Abimelech  divides  his  men  into  four  detachments, 
3411 ; but  in  the  other,  22 -25-  42 -49,  no  mention  is  made  of  Gaal  or  Zebul,  simply  the  men  of  Shechem 
figure  as  the  rebels.  Rumor  brings  the  news  of  the  insurrection  to  Abimelech,  who  divides  his 
forces  into  three  divisions,  40,  and  attacks  the  rebels  while  they  are  in  the  fields  and  vineyards 
about  the  town.  In  this  account  also  his  vengeance  upon  the  city  and  its  people  is  most  bar- 
barous; while  in  the  other  he  simply  expels  Gaal.  In  27-35  two  extracts,  27a-  34a,  from  the  second 
narrative,  have  evidently  been  combined  with  the  first.  Restored  to  their  proper  context,  they 
also  relieve  the  inconsistencies  in  the  text  as  it  stands  in  the  Heb. 

It  is  not  so  clear  what  are  the  antecedents  of  the  two  narratives  in  1-21.  Vss.  5b  and  21  appear 
to  be  duplicates.  Vss.  1-5  contain  a simple,  straightforward  account  of  the  way  in  which  Abim- 
elech came  to  be  king.  It  accords  with  the  style  and  representation  of  the  Judean  narratives 
in  §§139,  141.  Cf.  especially  statement  in  831  and  the  many  indications  in  this  source  that  the 
Hebrews  freely  intermarried  and  entered  into  alliances  with  the  Canaanites.  Vss.  1-5  are  also 
the  natural  introduction  to  the  first  account  of  the  insurrection  in  which  Abimelech’s  rulership 
is  assumed  and  in  which  he  is  represented  in  Shechem  by  his  appointee.  The  simplicity  and 
naturalness,  as  well  as  the  style  of  this  version,  all  strongly  suggest  that  it  is  the  oldest. 

The  name  of  the  Deity,  which  is  used,  the  localization  of  the  incident  at  Shechem,  and  the 
long  address,  all  point  to  the  Ephraimite  as  the  source  of  6-21 . Its  spirit  and  general  character- 
istics identify  it  with  the  second  and  more  strenuous  account  of  the  insurrection,  in  which  the 
men  of  Shechem  themselves  are  represented  as  rebelling  and  suffering  the  consequences.  The 
references  to  the  sacred  pillar  and  to  the  men  of  Beth-Millo  (cf.  20)  indicate  that  6,  which  has 
usually  been  otherwise  assigned,  comes  from  the  same  Ephraimite  narrative. 

S33-3^  js  an  editorial  epitome  of  facts  derived  chiefly  from  9,  which  it  was  intended  to  intro- 
duce, joining  the  Abimelech  to  the  Gideon  stories.  Vss. 56 • 57  are  respectively  the  (editorial)  con- 
clusions of  the  Judean  and  Ephraimite  versions.  Since  the  evidence  is  not  decisive,  the  inde- 
pendent narrative  in  50-55  may  be  from  either  source,  and  its  contents  were  probably  originally 
common  to  both.  It  is  also  a torso,  for  no  reason  is  given  for  Abimelech’s  attack  upon  Thebez. 
Possibly  Gaal  and  his  kinsmen,  when  expelled  from  Shechem,  went  to  Thebez. 

n 96  The  original  Heb.,  which  read  massebah  or  sacred  pillar,  has  been  slightly  altered  by  a 
later  editor  to  whom  the  ancient  symbolism  was  offensive.  For  other  references  to  this  sacred  tree 
cf.  Gen.  354,  Josh.  2420.  These  allusions  to  the  sacred  pillars  are  characteristic  of  the  Ephraim- 
ite source. 


Election 
of  Abim- 
elech 
king  by 
the  She- 
chem- 
ites 


331 


HEBREW  DELIVERERS 


Abime- 
lech’s 
assump- 
tion or 
the 

kingship 
with  the 
aid  of 
his  kins- 
men in 
She- 
chem 


Treason 
of  the 
She- 
chem- 
ites  un- 
der the 
leader- 
ship of 
Gaal 


JUDG.  835] 

Early  Judean 

show  kindness  to  the  house  of 
Jerabbaal  (that  is  Gideon),  as 
all  the  good  which  he  had  done 
to  Israel  deserved. 

9 1And  Abimelech  the 
son  of  Jerubbaal  went  to 
Shechem  to  liis  mother’s 
kinsmen,  and  spoke  to 
. them,  and  to  all  the  clan 
of  the  house  of  his 
mother’s  father,  saying, 

2Put  the  question  to  all 
the  citizens  of  Shechem, 

‘Which  is  better  for  you, 
that  seventy  persons 
should  rule  over  you — 
all  sons  of  Jerubbaal — 
or  that  one  should  rule 
over  you?’  Remember  too 
that  I am  your  bone  and 
flesh.  3So  his  mother’s 
kinsmen  spoke  all  these 
words  concerning  him  in 
the  hearing  of  all  the  men 
of  Shechem;  and  they 
were  inclined  to  follow 
Abimelech;  for  they  said, 

He  is  our  kinsman.  4And 
they  gave  him  seventy 
shekels  of  silver  from  the 
house  of  Baal-berith,  with 
which  Abimelech  hired 
worthless  and  reckless 
fellows,  who  followed  him. 

5And  he  went  to  his  fa- 
ther’s house  at  Ophrah, 
and  slew  his  brothers  the 
sons  of  Jerubbaal,  seventy 
men  on  one  stone;  but  Jo- 
tham  the  youngest  son  of 
Jerubbaal  was  left ; for  he 
hid  himself 

26 And  Gaal  the  sen  of  Ebed  came  with  his 
kinsmen  and  went  over  to  Shechem;  and  the  men 
of  Shechem  put  confidence  in  him.  27bThey  then 


[Judg.  97 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

God  may  hearken  to  you.  8Once  upon  a time 
the  trees  went  forth  to  anoint  a king  over  them. 
And  they  said  to  the  olive-tree,  ‘Reign  over  us.’ 
9Rut  the  olive-tree  said  to  them,  ‘Shall  I leave 
off  my  fatness,  with  which  by  me  gods  and  man 
are  honored,  and  go  to  hold  sway  over  the  trees  ?’ 
10Then  the  trees  said  to  the  fig-tree,  ‘You  come 
and  reign  over  us.’  nBut  the  fig-tree  said  to 
them,  ‘Shall  I stop  my  sweetness,  and  my 
bountiful  crop,  and  go  to  hold  sway  over  the 
trees?’  12The  trees  then  said  to  the  vine,  'You 
come  and  reign  over  us.’  13But  the  vine  said  to 
them,  ‘Shall  I leave  my  new  wine,  which  glad- 
dens gods  and  men,  and  go  to  hold  sway  over 
the  trees?’  14Then  all  the  trees  said  to  the 
bramble,  ‘You  come  and  reign  over  us.’  15And 
the  bramble  said  to  the  trees,  ‘If  in  good  faith 
you  anoint  me  king  over  you,  then  come  and 
take  refuge  in  my  shade;  but  if  not  let  fire  come 
out  of  the  bramble  and  devour  the  cedars  of 
Lebanon.’ 

16Now  therefore  if  you  have  acted  in  good 
faith  in  that  you  have  made  Abimelech  king, 
and  if  you  have  dealt  well  by  Jerubbaal  and  his  house, 
and  have  done  to  him  as  he  deserved, — 17seeing  my  father 
fought  for  you,  and  at  the  risk  of  his  life  delivered  you 
from  the  power  of  Midian  ; 18and  you  have  risen  up  against 
my  father’s  house  this  day,  and  have  slain  his  sons,  sev- 
enty men,  on  one  stone,  and  have  made  Abimelech,  the 
son  of  his  maid-servant,  king  over  the  men  of  Shechem, 
because  he  is  your  kinsman — 19if  you  then  have  acted  in 
good  faith  and  honorably  with  Jerubbaal  and  with  his 
house  this  day,0  then  rejoice  in  Abimelech,  and  let 
him  also  rejoice  in  you;  20but  if  not,  let  fire  come 
out  from  Abimelech,  and  devour  the  men  of 
Shechem,  and  Beth-Millo;  and  let  fire  come 
out  from  the  men  of  Shechem,  and  from  Beth- 
Millo,  and  devour  Abimelech. 

21Then  Jotham  fled  and  went  to  Beer,  and 
dwelt  there  for  fear  of  Abimelech  his  brother. 


Jo- 

tham’s 

fable 


His  pro- 
test 


His 

flight 


22 And  when  Abimelech 
had  ruled  over  Israel 
three  years,  23God  sent 


o gi6b-i9a  The  many  repetitions  and  cumbrous  style  indicate  that  these  verses,  which 
interrupt  Jotham’s  application  of  his  fable,  are  from  a later  editor. 


Dissatis- 
faction 
and 
treach- 
ery of 
the  She- 
chemites 


332 


Zebul’s 
warning 
and  ad- 
vice to 
Abime- 
lech 


Abime- 
lech’s 
attack 
and  de- 
feat of 
the  reb- 
els un- 
der Gaal 


Judg.  927b]  REIGN  OF  ABIMELECH  [Judg.  923 


Early  Judean 

held  festival,  and  went  into  the  house  of  their  god, 
and  ate  and  drank,  and  cursed  Abimelech.  28 And 
Gaal  the  son  of  Ebed  said,  Who  is  Abimelech, 
and  who  are  the  Shechemites  that  we  should  serve 
him  ? Is  not  he  the  son  of  Jerubbaal  ? and  is  not 
Zebul  his  officer?  Be  subject  to  the  people  of 
Hamor  the  father  of  Shechem ; for  why  should 
we  be  subject  to  him  ? 29Would  that  this  people 
were  under  my  authority!  then  would  I remove 
Abimelech.  And  he  said  to  Abimelech,  Increase 
your  army  and  come  out. 

30 And  when  Zebul  the  governor  of  the  city 
heard  the  words  of  Gaal  the  son  of  Ebed,  his 
anger  was  aroused.  31  And  he  sent  messengers 
to  Abimelech  at  Arumah,p  saying,  Behold,  Gaal 
the  son  of  Ebed  and  his  kinsmen  have  come  to 
Shechem,  and  now  they  are  stirring  the  city  to 
revolt  against  you.  32Now  therefore,  arise  by 
night,  you  and  the  people  who  are  with  you,  and 
lie  in  wait  in  the  fields;  33and  in  the  morning  as 
soon  as  the  sun  is  up,  rise  early  and  rush  upon 
the  city;  and,  behold,  when  he  and  the  people 
who  are  with  him  come  out  against  you,  you  can 
do  to  him  as  opportunity  offers. 

34bSo  they  laid  wait  against  Shechem  in  four 
companies.  35And  when  Gaal  the  son  of  Ebed 
went  out  and  stood  in  the  entrance  of  the  gate 
of  the  city,  Abimelech  rose  up  with  the  people 
who  were  with  him,  from  the  place  of  ambush. 
36Then,  when  Gaal  saw  the  people,  he  said  to 
Zebul,  Behold,  people  are  coming  down  from  the 
tops  of  the  mountains.  But  Zebul  said  to  him, 
It  is  the  shadow  of  the  mountains  that  you  see 
as  if  they  were  men.  37But  Gaal  said  again,  See 
there  are  people  coming  down  from  beside  the 
Hill,r  and  one  company  is  coming  by  the  way  of 
the  Diviner’s  Tree.  38Then  Zebul  said  to  him, 
Where  is  now  the  boast  which  you  made,  ‘Who 
is  Abimelech  that  we  should  serve  him?’  is  not 
this  the  people  whom  you  despised  ? Go  out  now, 
I pray,  and  fight  with  them.  39Then  Gaal 
went  out  before  the  men  of  Shechem,  and  fought 


Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 
an  evil  spirit  between 
Abimelech  and  the  men 
of  Shechem,  and  the  men 
of  Shechem  practised 
treachery  towards  Abim- 
elech, 24that  the  violence 
done  to  the  seventy  sons 
of  Jerubbaal  and  their 
blood  might  come  upon 
Abimelech  their  brother, 
who  slew  them,  and  upon 
the  men  of  Shechem,  who 
helped  him  to  slay  his 
brothers/1  25Andthemen 
of  Shechem  put  men  in 
ambush  against  him  on 
the  tops  of  the  mountains, 
and  they  robbed  all  who 
came  along  on  the  road 
by  them;  and  it  was  told 
Abimelech. 

27aNow  they  went  out 
into  the  field,  and  gath- 
ered the  fruit  of  their  vine- 
yards, and  trod  the  grapes. 
34aAnd  when  he  was  in- 
formed of  it,  Abimelech 
rose  up,  and  all  the  peo- 
ple that  were  with  him  by 
night.  42And  it  came  to 
pass  on  the  following  day 
that  the  people  went  out 
into  the  field.  And  when 
Abimelech  was  informed 
of  it,  43he  took  his  people 
and  divided  them  into 
three  companies,  and  laid 
wait  in  the  field;  and  he 
looked,  and,  behold,  the 
people  were  coming  out  of 
the  city;  and  he  rose  up 


p 931  Heb.  has  an  unintelligible  word  commonly  translated  craftily.  The  context  suggests 
no  need  of  craft.  A change  of  one  letter  gives  the  above  reading,  which  accords  with  941. 

924  Either  the  Ephraimite  version  also  once  recorded  Abimelech’s  crime,  or  else  24  was 
added  by  the  editor. 

r 9s7  Lit.,  the  navel  of  the  land.  Probably  it  was  the  local  designation  of  a hill. 

333 


Abime- 
lech’s at- 
tack, 
capture 
and  de- 
struc- 
tion of 
She- 
chem 


HEBREW  DELIVERERS 


E j ection 
of  the 
rebels 


Abime- 
lech’s  ig- 
nomini- 
ous 
death 
while  at- 
tacking 
Thebez 


Moral  of 

the 

story 


JUDG.  939] 

Early  Judean 

with  Abimelech.  40And  Abimelech  pursued 
him,  and  he  fled  before  him,  and  there  fell 
many  wounded,  even  to  the  entrance  of  the 
gate. 

41But  Abimelech  continued  to  live  at  Arumah, 
while  Zebul  drove  out  Gaal  and  his  kinsmen, 
that  they  should  not  dwell  in  Shechem. 

50Then  Abimelech  went  to  Thebez,  and  en- 
camped against  Thebez  and  captured  it. 
51But  there  was  a strong  tower  within  the  city, 
and  thither  all  the  men  and  women  fled,  and  all 
the  people  of  the  city,  and  shut  themselves  in  and 
went  up  to  the  roof  of  the  tower.  62And 
Abimelech  came  to  the  tower,  and  fought 
against  it,  and  was  drawing  near  to  the  door 
of  the  tower  to  burn  it  with  fire,  53when  a 
certain  woman  threw  an  upper  mill-stone  on 
Abimelech’s  head,  and  crushed  his  skull. 
54Then  he  called  quickly  to  the  young  man 
his  armor-bearer,  and  said  to  him.  Draw 
your  sword  and  kill  me  that  men  may  not  say 
of  me,  “A  woman  killed  him.”  So  his  young 
man  ran  him  through  and  he  died.  55And 
when  the  men  of  Israel  saw  that  Abimelech 
was  dead,  they  departed  every  man  to  his 
home. 

56Thus  God  brought  home  to  Abimelech  the 
crime  which  he  committed  against  his  father, 
in  slaying  his  seventy  brothers. 


[Judg.  943 

Early  Ephraimite  Pro- 
phetic Narratives 

against  them  and  killed 
them.  44Then  Abimelech 
and  the  company®  which 
was  with  him,  rushed  for- 
ward and  made  their  stand 
in  the  entrance  of  the  gate 
of  the  city,  and  the  two 
companies  rushed  upon 
all  who  were  in  the  field, 
and  killed  them.  45And 
Abimelech  fought  against 
the  city  all  that  day  and 
took  the  city,  and  slew  the 
people  who  were  in  it,  and 
razed  the  city  and  sowed 
it  with  salt. 

46 And  when  all  the  men 
of  the  tower  of  Shechem 
heard  of  it,  they  entered 
into  the  stronghold  of  the 
house  of  El-berith.  47 And 
it  was  reported  to  Abime- 
lech that  all  the  men  of 
the  tower  of  Shechem 
were  gathered  there. 
48Then  Abimelech  went 
up  to  Mount  Zalmon,  to- 
gether with  all  the  people 
who  were  with  him;  and 
Abimelech  took  his  ax*  in 

his  hand,  and  cut  down  a bough  from  the  trees,  and  took  it  up  and  laid  it 
on  his  shoulder.  And  he  said  to  the  people  who  were  with  him.  Make 
haste  and  do  what  you  have  seen  me  do.  49Then  all  the  people  also  cut 
down  every  man  his  bough,  and  followed  Abimelech,  and  laid  them  against 
the  stronghold,  and  set  the  stronghold  on  fire  with  them,  so  that  all  the  men 
of  the  tower  of  Shechem  died,  also  about  a thousand  men  and  women. 

57Thus  all  the  wickedness  of  the  men  of  Shechem  God  brought  back  upon 
their  heads;  and  upon  them  came  the  curse  of  Jotham  the  son  of  Jerubbaal. 


Destruc- 
tion of 
the 

tower  of 
She- 
chem 


Moral  of 

the 

story 


> 9 44  Heb.,  companies,  but  in  43  he  had  divided  his  forces  into  three  companies,  and  in  the 
other  two  are  mentioned.  The  Lat.  is,  therefore,  right  in  reading,  company. 

1 948  Heb.,  axes.  Some  Gk.  texts  correct  to  ax. 


S34 


THE  MINOR  JUDGES 


[Judg.  IQ1 


§ 143.  The  Minor  Judges:  Tola  and  Jair,  Judg.  101-5 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  10  JAnd  after  Abimelech  there  arose  to  deliver  Israel,  Tola  the  son 
of  Puah,  the  son  of  Dodo,  a man  of  Issachar;  and  he  dwelt  in  Shamir  in  the 
hill-country  of  Ephraim.  2 And  he  judged  Israel  twenty-three  years;  then 
he  died,  and  was  buried  in  Shamir. 

3 And  after  him  arose  Jair,  the  Gileadite;  and  he  judged  Israel  twenty-two 
years.  4 And  he  had  thirty  sons  who  rode  on  thirty  young  asses,  and  they 
had  thirty  cities,  which  are  called  Havvoth-jair  to  this  day,  in  the  land  of 
Gilead.  5 And  Jair  died,  and  was  buried  in  Kamon. 


§ 144.  Jephthah’s  Victory  over  the  Ammonites  Judg.  10s-127 
Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  10  6 And  the  Israelites  again  did  that  which  was  displeasing  to  Jeho- 
vah, and  served  the  Baals  and  the  Astartes,  and  the  gods  of  Aram,  and  the 
gods  of  Sidon,  and  the  gods  of  Moab,  and  the  gods  of  the  Ammonites,  and 
the  gods  of  the  Philistines;  and  they  forsook  Jehovah  and  did  not  serve  him. 
7Then  the  anger  of  Jehovah  was  aroused  against  Israel,  and  he  sold  them  into 
the  power  of  the  Philistines,  and  into  the  power  of  the  Ammonites.  8And 


§ 143  An  editorial  epitome,  connecting  the  stories  of  Gideon  and  Abimelech  with  those 
regarding  Jephthah.  It  is  a part  of  the  editorial  framework  of  the  book  of  Judg.  Cf.  note  § 133. 
The  later  editor  probably  here  incorporated  material  found  in  the  earlier  (pre-Deuteronomic) 
edition  of  the  book.  In  Gen.  46ia  and  Num.  2d23  Tola  is  the  chief  clan  of  Issachar,  and  Puah  is 
his  brother.  Also  in  Num.  32s9'41  it  appears  to  be  a Manassite  clan,  living  east  of  the  Jordan 
in  Gilead.  The  passage  is  from  an  old  Judean  record  and  may  be  the  same  from  which  the 
editor  of  Judg.  derived  his  data.  Vs.  41  reads,  And  Jair  the  son  of  Manasseh  went  and  took  its 
towns  and  called  them  “Towns  of  Jair.”  It  seems  probable,  therefore,  that  these  statements 
regarding  Tola  and  Jair  reflect  the  history  of  certain  dans  rather  than  the  achievements  of 
individuals,  although  these  names  may  originally  have  been  borne  by  the  tribal  leaders 

1 144  The  Jephthah  stories  offer  certain  unusually  difficult  problems.  The  elaborate  and  com- 
plex introduction,  106'16,  resembles  that  found  in  26-36.  As  a whole  it  is  from  the  late  prophetic 
(Deut.)  editor,  but  in  10-16,  and  possibly  in  6b.  d ■ 8a , is  included  what  seems  to  be  an  extract  from 
the  same  Ephraimite  source,  as  appears  in  2s-  10.  is..2*)-22,  § 135.  its  original  position  and  function 
is  not  entirely  clear.  In  7 the  Philistines  are  mentioned  as  the  oppressors  of  the  Hebrews,  aswell 
as  the  Ammonites,  and  in  9 Judah,  Benjamin  and  Ephraim  are  counted  among  the. oppressed. 
In  the  early  prophetic  histories  the  stories  now  found  in  Sam.  were  the  direct  continuation  of 
those  in  Judg.  It  has  therefore  been  suggested  by  Budde  (Richt.  u.  Sam.,  128)  that  these 
extracts  are  from  what  was  originally  a later  Ephraimite  introduction  to  the  account  of  the 
Philistine  oppression.  Incorporated  and  supplemented  by  the  late  prophetic  and  a still  later 
priestly  editor,  it  now  introduces  the  Ammonite  and  Philistine  oppressions  which  mark  the 
close  of  the  period  of  settlement  and  at  the  same  time  constitute  the  background  of  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Hebrew  monarchy,  recounted  in  I Sam.  1-12. 

It  is  generally  recognized  that  the  Jephthah  stories  are  not  a homogeneous  literary  unit. 
11Mb and 32,1  are  duplicates;  also  32b  and  33.  In  l P Jephthah  is  represented  as  an  outlaw,  re- 
called to  save  the  Gileadites  from  their  Ammonite  foes;  but  in  ll19-27  he  speaks  as  a ruler  of 
his  land,  and  in  31  and  34  his  home  and  family  are  in  Mizpah  of  Gilead.  Whether  these  and  other 
variations  are  due  to  later  additions  to  the  original  story,  or  to  the  combination  of  two  distinct 
narratives,  cannot  be  absolutely  determined.  It  seems  most  probable,  however,  that  both  the 
prophetic  sources  are  here  represented.  The  address  in  ll12-28  contains  long,  almost  verbatim, 
quotations  from  the  Ephraimite  stories  in  Num.  2014‘18'  21a,  2 l21-24*,  §1.94,  97.  Its. northern 
origin  is  therefore  established,  although  it  is  not  entirely  clear  whether  it  is  a compilation  based 
on  Num.  20,  21,  or  represents  an  older  and  fuller  tradition.  The  latter  seems  to  be  the  case. 
1017  and  1 130.  31-  llb.  29b.  33-40  imply,  like  12_28,  that  Jephthah  is  the  established  leader  of  the  Gilead- 
ite forces  and  that  he  lives  at  Mizpah.  The  disarrangements  in  the  order  are  the  result  of  com- 
pilation. These  passages  seem,  therefore,  to  embody  the  Ephraimite  version  of  the  Jephthah 
tradition.  His  fidelity  to  his  vow  recalls  the  story  in  Gen.  22  of  Abraham’s  sacrifice  of  Isaac, 
which  is  also  from  the  same  source. 

The  remaining  verses  of  11  contain  a simple,  consistent  narrative.  Jephthah’s  home  is  in 
Tob,  which  Jewish  tradition  located  to  the  north  of  Gilead.  This  seems  to  accord  with  tho 
peculiar  representation  in  112,»  and  121.  Certainly  these  statements  are  inconsistent  with  th# 

335 


Tola 


Jair 


Israel’s 
apostasy 
and  it3 
punish- 
ment at 
the 

hands  of 
the  Phil- 
istines 
and  Am- 
monites 


Judg.  108]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS  : JEPHTHAH 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

they  crushed  and  oppressed  the  Israelites  at  that  timeu  eighteen  years — aH 
the  Israelites  that  were  beyond  the  Jordan  in  the  land  of  the  Amorites,  which 
is  in  Gilead.  9 And  the  Ammonites  crossed  the  Jordan  to  fight  also  against 
Judah  and  Benjamin,  and  against  the  house  of  Ephraim;  and  Israel  was  in 
great  straits. 

jeho-  10Then  the  Israelites  cried  to  Jehovah  saying,  We  have  sinned  against  thee 
rebuke  in  forsaking  our  God,  and  in  serving  the  Baals.  11And  Jehovah  said  to  the 
rael’e8  Israelites,  Is  it  not  true  that,  when  the  Egyptians,  and  the  Amorites,  and  the 
ancent>  Ammonites,  and  the  Philistines,  12and  the  Sidonians,  and  the  Amalekites, 
and  the  Maonitesv  oppressed  you,  you  cried  to  me  and  I delivered  you  from 
their  power?  13 Yet  you  have  forsaken  me,  and  served  other  gods;  therefore 
I will  deliver  you  no  more.  14Go  cry  to  the  gods  which  you  have  chosen; 
let  them  save  you  in  the  time  of  your  distress.  15Then  the  Israelites  said 
to  Jehovah,  We  have  sinned;  do  to  us  whatever  seems  good  to  thee;  only 
deliver  us,  we  pray  thee,  at  this  time.  16 And  they  put  away  the  foreign  gods 
from  among  them,  and  served  Jehovah;  and  his  soul  was  grieved  for  the 
misery  of  Israel. 


Early  Judean 

Call  of  Judg.  10  I8And  the  peo- 
J®ph-  pie  (the  princes  of  Gilead)  said 
deliver  to  one  another,  Who  is  the 
and  lead  man  that  will  begin  the  war 
the.G'l-  against  the  Ammonites '?  He 
86  1 shall  be  head  of  all  the  inhab- 
itants of  Gilead. w 

11  xNow  Jephthah  the 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

10  17Then  the  Ammonites  were  gathered  to- 
gether and  encamped  in  Gilead.  And  the  Is- 
raelites assembled,  and  encamped  in  Mizpah.w 

11  12Then  Jephthah  sent  messengers  to  the 
king  of  the  Ammonites,  saying,  What  is  there  be- 
tween us  that  you  have  come  to  me  to  fight  against 


representation  that  his  home  was  at  Mizpah  of  Gilead,  if  its  identification  with  es-Salt,  directly 
east  of  Ephraim,  is  correct.  122  indicates  that  the  original  version  of  this  narrative,  11®,  was 
preceded  by  an  account  of  Jephthah ’s  demand  that  the  Ephraimites  unite  with  him  in  re- 
pelling the  Ammonites.  The  story  in  121-6  has  many  points  in  common  with  the  Ephraimite 
account  in  81  3 of  the  complaints  of  the  Ephraimites  after  Gideon’s  victory.  It  may  be  the 
Judean  version  in  a different  setting;  but  it  contains  so  many  original  elements,  as,  for  example, 
the  shibboleth  test,  that  it  is  more  probable  that  it  rests  on  an  independent  historical  basis.  The 
unfavorable  light  in  which  the  Ephraimites  appear  also  tends  to  confirm  the  other  indications 
that  this  second  narrative,  of  which  this  passage  is  the  conclusion,  is  from  the  Judean  source. 

The  variations  between  the  two  narratives  is  so  great  that  it  is  possible  that  they  are  not 
parallel  but  independent  stories.  The  Judean  records  a war  with  the  Ammonites..  In  its 
present  form  the  Ephraimite  narratives  purport  to  do  the  same,  but  the  address  in  ll12-27 
strongly  suggests  that  in  the  original  version  the  foes  were  the  Moabites.  It  is  their  early  re- 
lations to  the  Israelites  which  is  presented  at  length  in  17 ■ ls.  The  god  of  the  king  addressed 
is  Chemosh,  24,  the  national  deity  of  the  Moabites,  not  Milcom  the  god  of  Ammon.  The  expe- 
riences of  Balak  king  of  Moab,  is  appealed  to  as  evidence  of  the  futility  of  opposing  Jehovah's 
people.  The  cities  over  which  they  are  contesting,  26,  lie  in  Moabite  territory.  The  geography 
of  the  East-Jordan  is  little  known,  but  the  conquered  cities  in  :<i  appear  to  the  south  rather 
than  to  the  east  of  Gilead.  Furthermore  there  is  nothing  in  the  historical  situation  to  pre- 
clude the  possibility  that  in  maintaining  Israelitish  independence  east  of  the  Jordan,  Jeph- 
thah came  into  conflict  with  the  Moabites  as  well  as  the  Ammonites. 

In  the  light  of  the  analysis  the  historical  character  of  Jephthah  is  strongly  confirmed.  He 
was  the  relentless,  energetic  champion,  well-fitted  to  lead  the  rough  warriors  of  Gilead.  Even 
the  story  of  the  sacrifice  of  his  daughter  is  too  well  substantiated  by  Semitic  usage  to  be  seri- 
ously questioned. 

u 10s  So  Gk.  Heb.  has,  that  year.  If  the  eighteen  years  is  original , the  Gk.  is  the  only  satis- 
factory reading. 

v ion.  12  g0  most  Gk.  texts.  Syr.  and  Lat.  and  Heb.  has  an  exceedingly  awkward  case 
of  anacoluthon,  beginning  with,  irom  the  Egyptians  and  from  the  Philistines.  Then  the  con- 
struction is  abandoned,  and  the  Sidonians,  etc.,  become  the  subjects  of  the  following  verb. 

» io17.  is  The  exact  origin  of  these  verses  is  in  doubt.  They  may  be  the  conclusion  of  the 
editorial  introduction,  for  they  contain  no  data  which  might  not  have  been  derived  from  the 
subsequent  narratives,  and  with  11  the  original  story  of  Jephthah  apparently  begins. 

336 


The  dis- 
pute re- 
garding 
Israel’s 
title  in 
Gilead 


Judg.  II1 *]  VICTORY  OVER  THE  AMMONITES  [Judg.  II12 


Early  Judean 

Gileadite  was  a very  val- 
iant warrior;  and  he  was 
the  son  of  a harlot;  and 
Gilead  begat  Jephthah.  Gil- 
ead’s wife  also  bore  him  sons, 
and  when  his  wife’s  sons 
grew  up,  they  drove  Jephthah 
out,  and  said  to  him,  You 
shall  have  no  inheritance  in 
our  father’s  house,  for  you  are 
the  son  of  another  woman.  * 

3So  Jephthah  fled  from 
his  brothers  and  dwelt  in 
the  land  of  Tob ; and  there 
gathered  worthless  fel- 
lows about  Jephthah,  and 
they  used  to  go  out  on 
forays  with  him.  4And 
after  a time  the  Ammon- 
ites made  war  against 
Israel.  5And  when  the 
Ammonites  made  war 
against  Israel,  the  elders 
of  Gilead  went  to  bring 
Jephthah  out  of  the  land 
of  Tob,  6and  they  said  to 
Jephthah,  Come  be  our 
chief,  that  we  may  fight 
against  the  Ammonites. 
7But  Jephthah  said  to  the 
elders  of  Gilead,  are  you 
not  the  men  who  hated 
me  and  drove  me  out  of 
my  father’s  house?  why 
then  do  you  come  to  me 
now  when  you  are  in  dis- 
tress? 8And  the  elders 
of  Gilead  said  to  Jeph- 
thah, That  is  why  we  have 
now  returned  to  you  that 
you  may  go  with  us,  and 
fight  against  the  Ammon- 
ites, and  you  shall  be  our 
chief,  even  over  all  the 
inhabitants  of  Gilead. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

my  country  ? 13 And  the  king  of  the  Ammonites 
answered  the  messengers  of  Jephthah,  Because 
Israel  took  away  my  territory,  when  he  came  up 
from  Egypt,  from  the  Arnon  even  to  the  Jabbok, 
and  to  the  Jordan;  now  therefore  restore  them 
peaceably.  14And  Jephthah  sent  messengers 
again  to  the  king  of  the  Ammonites  15and  said  to 
him,  Thus  says  Jephthah:  ‘Israel  did  not  take 
away  the  land  of  Moab,  nor  the  land  of  the  Am- 
monites, 1(,but  when  they  came  up  from  Egypt, 
and  Israel  went  through  the  wilderness  to  the  Red 
Sea,  and  came  to  Kadesh,  17then  Israel  sent 
messengers  to  the  king  of  Edom,  saying,  “Let 
me,  I pray,  pass  through  your  land;”  but  the 
king  of  Edom  would  not  agree  to  it.  And  in 
like  manner  he  sent  to  the  king  of  Moab,  and 
neither  would  he;  so  Israel  remained  in  Kadesh. 
18Then  they  went  through  the  wilderness  around 
the  land  of  Edom  and  the  land  of  Moab,  and 
came  upon  the  east  of  the  land  of  Moab,  and 
they  encamped  on  the  other  side  of  the  Arnon; 
but  they  did  not  come  within  the  territory  of 
Moab,  for  the  Arnon  was  the  boundary  of  Moab. 
19 And  Israel  sent  messengers  to  Sihon  king  of  the 
Amo  rites,  the  king  of  Heshbon;  and  Israel  said 
to  him,  “Let  us  pass  through  your  land  to  our 
place.”  20But  Sihon  would  not  trust  Israel  to 
pass  through  his  territory;  and  he  gathered  all 
his  people  together,  and  encamped  in  Jahaz,  and 
fought  against  Israel.  21And  Jehovah  the  God 
of  Israel  delivered  Sihon  and  all  his  people  into 
the  power  of  Israel,  and  they  defeated  them;  so 
Israel  gained  possession  of  all  the  land  of  the 
Amorites,  the  inhabitants  of  that  country. 
22Thus  they  came  to  possess  all  the  territory  of 
the  Amorites  from  the  Arnon  even  to  the  Jabbok, 
and  from  the  wilderness  even  to  the  Jordan. 
23So  now  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  hath  dis- 
possessed the  Amorites  from  before  his  people 
Israel,  and  should  you  possess  their  territory  ?a 
24Should  you  not  possess  that  which  Chemosh 
your  god  gives  you  to  possess?  So  whomever 
Jehovah  our  God  hath  dispossessed  from  before 


i 1 lib.  2 Probably  due  to  a later  editor,  who  interpreted  Gilead  as  the  name  of  an  individual, 

not  a region,  and  gave  kinsman  in  3 its  more  restricted  meaning  of  brothers.  This  note  seeks  to 

answer  the  natural  question  as  to  how  it  was  that  Jephthah  became  an  exile. 

337 


His  vic- 
tory 
over  the 
Ammon- 
ites 


Attack 
and  de- 
feat of 
the  Am- 
monites 


JUDG.  II9] 


HEBREW  DELIVERERS:  JEPHTHAH 


[JUDG.  II24 


Early  Judean 

9Then  Jeplithah  said  to 
the  elders  of  Gilead,  If 
you  bring  me  back  to 
fight  against  the  Am- 
monites, and  Jehovah 
gives  them  over  to  me, 
shall  I be  your  chief? 
10And  the  elders  of  Gil- 
ead said  to  Jephthah, 
Jehovah  shall  be  a wit- 
ness between  us;  we 
swear  to  do  just  as  you 
say.  llaThen  Jephthah 
went  with  the  elders  of 
Gilead,  and  the  people 
made  him  head  and  chief 
over  them. 

29aThen  the  Spirit  of 
Jehovah  came  upon  Jeph- 
thah, and  he  passed  over 
to  Gilead  and  Manasseh, 
and  passed  over  to  Mizpah  of 
Gilead.0  32So  Jephthah 
went  over  to  the  Ammon- 
ites to  fight  against  them ; 
and  Jehovah  delivered 
them  into  his  power. 


Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

us,  their  territory3  will  we  possess.  25 And  now 
are  you  so  much  better  than  Balak  the  son  of 
Zippor,  king  of  Moab  ? Did  he  ever  strive  against 
Israel,  or  did  he  ever  fight  against  them  ? 26While 
Israel  dwelt  in  Heshbon  and  its  dependent  vil- 
lages, and  in  Aroer  and  its  dependent  villages, 
and  in  all  the  cities  that  lie  along  the  bank  of  the 
Arnon,b  for  three  hundred  years,  why  did  you  not 
recover  them  within  that  time?  27I  therefore 
have  committed  no  crime  against  you,  but  you  are 
doing  me  wrong  in  making  war  against  me.  Let 
Jehovah,  the  Judge,  be  judge  this  day  between 
the  Israelites  and  the  Ammonites.  28But  the  king 
of  the  Ammonites  did  not  hearken  to  the  message 
which  Jephthah  sent  him. 

30 And  Jephthah  made  a vow  to  Jehovah,  and  Jeph- 
said,  If  thou  wilt  deliver  the  Ammonites  wholly  vpw  and 
into  my  power,  31then  whoever  comes  from  the  inctory 
doors  of  my  house  to  meet  me,  when  I return 
victorious  from  the  Ammonites,  shall  be  Jeho- 
vah’s, and  I will  offer  that  one  as  a burnt-offering. 
llbAnd  Jephthah  spoke  all  his  words  before  Je- 
hovah in  Mizpah.  29bAnd  from  Mizpah  of  Gil- 
ead he  passed  over  to  the  Ammonites.  33 And 
he  smote  them  with  a very  great  slaughter  from 
Aroer  as  far  as  Minnith,  even  twenty  cities,  and 
to  Abel-cheramim.  So  the  Ammonites  were  sub- 
jugated by  the  Israelites. 


12  xAnd  the  men  of  Ephraim  as- 
sembled, and  crossed  to  Zaphon;  and 
they  said  to  Jephthah,  Why  did  you 
pass  over  to  fight  against  the  Ammon- 
ites, and  did  not  invite  us  to  go  with 
you?  We  will  burn  your  house  over 
your  head.  2But  Jephthah  said  to 
them,  I and  my  people  were  parties 
to  a great  contest  with  the  Ammon- 
ites, and  when  I called  you,  you  did 
not  deliver  me  from  their  power.  3So 
when  I saw  that  you  were  not  going 
to  help  me,  I took  my  life  in  my 


34 And  when  Jephthah  came  home  His  re-  . 
to  Mizpah  his  daughter  was  just  com-  fuifii- 
ing  out  to  meet  him  with  tambourines  hisvow 
and  dances;  and  she  was  his  only 
child;  beside  her  he  had  neither  son 
nor  daughter.  35And  when  he  saw 
her  he  rent  his  garments  and  said,  O 
my  daughter!  you  have  stricken  me  to 
earth : Yes,  it  is  you  are  the  cause  of 
my  woe!  for,  as  for  me,  I have  made 
a solemn  promised  to  Jehovah,  and 
cannot  repudiate  it.  36 And  she  said 
to  him,  My  father,  you  have  made  a 


* Heb.,  them. 

b ll26  Gk.  has,  Jaager  . . . and  all  the  cities  along  the  Jordan. 

o H29a  The  last  clause  was  probably  introduced  by  the  early  editor  who  combined 
and  mb.  The  repetition  of  the  same  verb  three  times  in  this  verse  confirms  this  inference. 
ll35  Heb.,  opened  my  mouth. 


338 


Judg.  123]  VICTORY  OVER 
Early  Judean 

hand,  and  passed  over  against  the 
Ammonites,  and  Jehovah  delivered 
them  into  my  power.  Why  then  have 
you  come  up  against  me  to-day,  to 
make  war  on  me?  4Then  Jephthah 
gathered  together  all  the  men  of 
Gilead,  and  fought  with  Ephraim; 
and  the  men  of  Gilead  smote  Eph- 
raim, because  they  said,  You  are  fugitives 
of  Ephraim,  you  Gileadites,  in  the  midst 
of  Ephraim  and  Manasseh.f  5And  the 
Gileadites  seized  the  fords  of  the 
Jordan  to  intercept  the  Ephraimites. 

The  test  And  when  any  of  the  fugitives  of 
oFthe*  Ephraim  would  say,  Let  me  cross, 
fugitives  men  Qjjeacj  would  say  to  him, 

Are  you  an  Ephraimite  ? If  he  said, 

No,  6they  would  command  him, 

Then  say,  ‘shibboleth,'’  and  if  he  said 
‘sibboleth,’  and  did  not  pronounce 
it  exactly  right,  then  they  would  lay 
hold  on  him,  and  slay  him  at  the 
fords  of  the  Jordan.  And  there  fell  at 
that  time  of  Ephraim  forty -two  thousand,  s 
Death  of  7 And  Jephthah  judged  Israel  six  years. h 
thah"  Then  Jephthah  the  Gileadite  died,  and  was 
buried  in  his  city,  Mizpah  of  Gilead.! 

§145.  The  Minor  Judges;  Ibzan,  Elon  and  Abdon,  Judg.  128-15 
Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  12  8And  after  [Jephthah]  Ibzan  of  Bethlehem  judged  Israel,  ibzan 
9 And  he  had  thirty  sons;  and  thirty  daughters  he  sent  abroad,  and  he  brought 
in  from  outside  thirty  daughters  for  his  sons.  And  he  judged  Israel  seven 
years.  10Then  Ibzan  died,  and  was  buried  at  Bethlehem. 

uAnd  after  him  Elon  the  Zebulunite  judged  Israel;  and  he  judged  Israel  Elon 
ten  years.  12Then  Elon  the  Zebulunite  died,  and  was  buried  in  Aijalon  in 
the  land  of  Zebulun. 

13And  after  him  Abdon  the  son  of  Hillel  the  Pirathonite  judged  Israel.  Abdon 
14And  he  had  forty  sons  and  thirty  grandsons  who  rode  on  seventy  young 


THE  AMMONITES  [Judg.  II36 

Early  Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narra- 
tives 

solemn  promise  to  Jehovah;  do  to  me 
what  you  have  solemnly  promised, 
inasmuch  as  Jehovah  hath  taken 
vengeance  for  you  on  your  enemies, 
the  Ammonites.  37 And  she  said  to  her 
father.  Let  this  privilege  be  granted 
me  :e  spare  me  two  months,  that  I may 
depart  and  go  out  upon  the  moun- 
tains, and  lament  together  with  my 
companions  because  of  my  maiden- 
hood. 38And  he  said,  Go.  So  he  sent 
her  away  for  two  months  and  she  de- 
parted together  with  her  companions, 
and  lamented  on  the  mountains  be- 
cause of  her  maidenhood.  39 And  at 
the  end  of  two  months  she  returned 
to  her  father,  who  did  to  her  as  he  had 
vowed  to  do,  she  never  having  known 
a man.  Thus  it  became  a custom 
in  Israel:  40yearly  the  daughters  of 
Israel  go  four  days  in  the  year,  to 
bewail* 1  the  death  of  the  daughter  of 
Jephthah  the  Gileadite. 


• ll37  Heb.,  Let  this  thing  be  done  to  me. 

< 124b  A confused  editorial  addition,  containing  an  explanation  which  is  unnecessary  and  out 
of  harmony  with  the  context.  It  was  probably  suggested  by  5. 

g I2fjb  The  exact  statistics  and  the  enormous  numbers  suggest  a late  editorial  note. 
h 127  The  regular  formula  of  the  late  prophetic  editor. 

■ ll40  Meaning  of  Heb.  word  doubtful.  All  the  leading  ancient  translations  have  the  above, 

i 127  Heb.,  in  the  cities  o/  Gilead.  The  meaning  and  the  original  were  probably  as  restored 
above. 

5 144  Another  epitome  with  the  characteristic  expressions  of  the  late  prophetic  editor. 
Cf.  §§  133,  142.  In  Gen.  4614,  Num.  2626,  Elon  appears  to  be  the  name  of  a clan  of  Zebulun. 

339 


The  an- 
nounce- 
ment of 
Sam- 
son’s 
birth  by 
the  di- 
vine 
Messen- 
ger 


The  sec- 
ond visit 
of  the 
divine 
Messen- 
ger 


Judg.  1214]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS  : SAMSON 

Late  Prophetic  Narratives 

asses;  and  he  judged  Israel  eight  years.  15Then  Abdon  the  son  of  Hillel  the 
Pirathonite  died,  and  was  buried  in  Pirathon  in  the  land  of  Ephraim,  in  the 
hill-country  of  the  Amalekites. 


§ 146.  Samson’s  Birth,  Judg.  13 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  13  'Then  the  Israelites  again  did  that  which  displeased  Jehovah  and  Jehovah 
delivered  them  into  the  power  of  the  Philistines  for  forty  years. 

2Now  there  was  a certain  man  of  Zorah,  of  the  clan  of  the  Danites,  whose 
name  was  Manoah;  and  his  wife  was  barren,  and  had  not  borne  children. 
3 And  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  appeared  to  the  woman,  and  said  to  her, 
Behold,  thou  hast  been  barren  and  not  borne  children,  but  thou  shalt  conceive, 
and  bear  a son.k  4Now  therefore,  take  heed,  I pray,  and  drink  no  wine  nor 
intoxicating  drink,  and  do  not  eat  anything  unclean;  5for  thou  art  already 
with  child,  and  wilt  bear  a son.  And  no  razor  shall  be  used  upon  his  head; 
for  the  child  shall  be  a Nazirite1  unto  God  from  the  womb,  and  he  shall  begin 
the  task  of  delivering  Israel  from  the  power  of  the  Philistines.™  ’’Then  the  woman 
came  and  told  her  husband  saying,  A man  of  God  came  to  me,  and  his  ap- 
pearance was  like  the  appearance  of  the  Messenger  of  God,  very  terrible; 
and  I did  not  ask  him  whence  he  was,  neither  did  he  tell  me  his  name,  7but 
he  said  to  me,  ‘Behold,  thou  art  with  child,  and  wilt  bear  a son;  so  now 
drink  no  wine  nor  strong  drink,  and  do  not  eat  any  unclean  thing;  for  the 
child  shall  be  a Nazirite  unto  God  from  birth  to  the  day  of  his  death. 

8Then  Manoah  made  supplication  to  Jehovah,  and  said,  O,  Lord,  I 
pray,  let  the  man  of  God  whom  thou  didst  send  come  again  to  us  and  teach 
us  what  we  shall  do  to  the  child  that  shall  be  born.  9And  God  hearkened 
to  the  voice  of  Manoah,  and  the  Messenger  of  God  came  again  to  the  woman 
as  she  sat  in  the  field,  but  Manoah  her  husband  was  not  with  her.  10Then 
the  woman  made  haste,  and  ran  to  tell  her  husband,  and  said  to  him,  The 
man,  who  came  to  me  the  other  day,  has  just  appeared  to  me.  11  And  Manoah 
arose  and  went  after  his  wife  and  came  to  the  man,  and  said  to  him,  Art  thou 


§ 146  The  cycle  of  traditions  in  13-16,  which  gather  about  the  name  of  Samson,  formed 
the  conclusion  of  the  original  late  prophetic,  or  Deuteronomic  book  of  Judges.  Cf.  note  § 135. 
The  Philistine  oppression,  which  is  their  background,  marks  the  transition  from  the  period  of 
settlement  to  the  establishment  of  the  monarchy.  The  individual  stories  are  loosely  connected 
with  each  other,  very  much  as  the  narratives  regarding  the  different  patriarchs.  Their  form 
and  contents  indicate  that  they  were  originally  popular  traditions,  undoubtedly  recounted  for 
generations  beside  the  camp-fires,  and  at  the  social  gatherings  in  ancient  Israel.  The  Judean 
prophets  appear  to  have  first  committed  them  to  writing;  not  necessarily  all  at  the  same  time. 
The  first  story,  13,  seems  to  be  later  than  the  others.  Usually  not  until  a man’s  reputation 
was  firmly  established,  did  people  begin  to  inquire  about  his  birth  and  childhood. 

For  the  late  prophetic  editor  these  stirring  folk-tales  had  little  interest  and  value,  for  Sam- 
son was  not  a real  deliverer  of  his  people — their  lot  was  worse  at  his  death  than  at  his  birth — 
and  it  is  only  from  force  of  habit  that  the  editor  calls  him  a judge,  1520,  1631b.  The  stories  are 
probably  preserved  by  later  religious  teachers,  simply  because  they  were  so  popular  and  be- 
cause they  furnished  an  introduction  to  the  important  period  that  followed.  They  have  a 
value  to-day  not  because  Samson,  the  child  grown  very  big,  is  a character  to  be  emulated — he 
is  indeed  a moral  weakling — but  because  he  illustrates  what  were  the  popular  ideals  in  that 
early  age.  The  stories  are  also  examples  of  a class  of  traditions  which  were  once  undoubtedly 
very  common. 

k 133b  Probably  not  found  originally  in  the  Gk.  It  is  apparently  a later  note  anticipating  s“. 

1 13s  Lit.,  a votary  or  devotee  of  God,  i.  e.,  one  especially  consecrated  to  God. 

” 13s  Probably  an  editorial  addition. 


340 


HIS  BIRTH 


[JUDG.  13U 


Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

the  man  who  spoke  to  the  woman?  And  he  said,  I am.  12Then  Manoah 
said.  When  now  thy  words  come  true,  what  shall  be  the  training  and 
occupation  of  the  child?  13And  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  said  to  Manoah, 

Let  the  woman  be  careful  in  regard  to  all  that  I said  to  her.  14She  must  not 
eat  any  product  of  the  vine,  nor  drink  wine  or  intoxicating  drink,  nor  eat  any 
unclean  thing.  All  that  I commanded  her  she  must  observe.  15And  Ma- 
noah said  to  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah,  Now  let  us  detain  thee  that  we  may 
make  a kid  ready  for  thee.  16But  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  said  to  Manoah, 
Though  thou  detain  me,  I will  not  eat  of  thy  bread;  and  if  thou  wilt  make 
ready  a burnt-offering,  thou  must  offer  it  to  Jehovah.  For  Manoah  did  not 
know  that  he  was  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah.  17And  Manoah  said  to  the 
Messenger  of  Jehovah,  What  is  thy  name?  that,  when  thy  words  come  true, 
we  may  do  thee  honor.  18But  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  said  to  him,  Why 
dost  thou  thus  ask  about  my  name,  when  it  is  incomprehensible?  19So 
Manoah  took  a kid  with  the  meal -offering,  and  offered  it  upon  the  rock 
to  Jehovah  the  Wonder-worker.11  20For  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  flame 
ascended  toward  heaven  from  off  the  altar,  that  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah 
ascended  in  the  flame  of  the  altar;  and  Manoah  and  his  wife  beholding,  fell 
on  their  faces  to  the  ground.  21But  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah  appeared 
no  more  to  Manoah  or  his  wife.  Then  Manoah  knew  that  it  was  the  Mes- 
senger of  Jehovah.  22And  Manoah  said  to  his  wife,  We  shall  certainly  die, 
because  we  have  seen  God.  23But  his  wife  said  to  him,  If  Jehovah  had 
intended  to  kill  us,  he  would  not  have  received  a burnt-offering  and  a meal- 
offering from  our  hands,  neither  would  he  have  showed  us  all  these  things, 
nor  would  he  at  this  time  have  told  such  things  as  these. 

24 And  the  woman  bore  a son,  and  called  his  name  Samson;  and  the  child  Sam- 
grew,  and  Jehovah  blessed  him.  25And  the  spirit  of  Jehovah  began  to  move  birth 
him  in  Mahaneh-Dan,  between  Zorah  and  Eshtaol.  child 

hood 

§ 147.  Samson’s  Marriage  with  the  Philistine  Woman,  Judg.  14 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  14  4Now  Samson  went  down  to  Timnah,  and  saw  in  Timnah  a woman  Sam- 
of  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines.  2When  he  came  up,  he  told  his  father  sire  to 
and  mother,  and  said,  I have  seen  a woman  in  Timnah  a daughter  of  the  woman 
Philistines;  now  therefore  get  her  for  me  for  a wife.  3Then  his  father  and  nah'm 
his  mother  said  to  him,  Is  there  no  woman  among  the  daughters  of  your 

» 1318  So  Gk.  and  Lat.  The  Heb.  is  unintelligible  except  by  a slight  emendation,  which 
brings  it  into  harmony  with  the  Gk.  and  Lat.  Heb.  also  adds,  and  Manoah  and  his  wife  beheld, 
which  is  probably  due  to  the  mistake  of  a copyist  who  introduced  it  here  from  20b. 

§ 147  Vss.  3’  4 imply  but  do  not  distinctly  state  that  Samson’s  parents  refused  to  consent 
to  his  marriage  with  the  Philistine  woman.  Therefore  he  contracted  an  ancient  type  of 
marriage  in  which  his  parents  had  no  part  and  his  wife  remained  in  her  own  family  home.  A 
later  editor,  unfamiliar  with  this  kind  of  marriage,  and  perhaps  idealizing  the  character  of  this 
headstrong  hero,  introduces  the  parents  into  the  subsequent  account  of  the  wedding  ceremonies. 

The  inevitable  confusion  results.  At  the  beginning  of  5 Samson’s  parents  are  with  him,  but  at 
the  end  he  is  alone.  Vs.  10  states,  as  for  the  first  time,  that  his  father  went  down  to  the  woman 
at  Timnah,  while  the  subsequent  context  indicates  that  the  statement  was  originally  made 
regarding  Samson.  Vs.  11  probably  originally  stated  that  Samson  took  thirty  companions  in 
the  place  of  his  kinsmen.  Recognizing  these  later  additions,  it  is  possible  to  distinguish  the 
original  narrative.  The  story  contains  a vivid  picture  of  ancient  Hebrew  marriage  customs. 

341 


His  sec- 
ond visit 
to  Tim- 
nah 


His  rid- 
dle at  his 
wedding 
feast 


In- 
trigues 
of  nis 
guests 
and  wife 
to  find 
the  an- 
swer 


Judg.  143]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS : SAMSON 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

kinsmen,  or  among  all  my  people,  that  you  must  go  and  take  a wife  among 
the  uncircumcised  Philistines?  But  Samson  said  to  his  father.  Get  her  for 
me;  for  she  pleases  me.  4His  father  and  mother,  however,  did  not  know 
that  it  was  of  Jehovah;  for  he  was  seeking  an  opportunity  against  the  Philis- 
tines. Now  at  that  time  the  Philistines  were  ruling  over  Israel. 

5Then  Samson  went  down  to  Timnah  with  his  father  and  mother.  And  just 
as  he°  came  to  the  vineyards  of  Timnah,  a young  lion  roared  against  him. 
6And  the  spirit  of  Jehovah  rushed  upon  him,  and  he  tore  the  beast  asunder  as 
one  tears  a kid ; and  he  had  nothing  in  his  hands ; but  he  did  not  tell  his  father  or 
his  mother  what  he  had  done.  7Then  he  went  down  and  talked  with  the 
woman  and  she  pleased  Samson.  8And  when  he  returned  after  a while 
to  get  her,  he  turned  aside  to  see  the  carcass  of  the  lion;  and,  behold,  there 
was  a swarm  of  bees  in  the  body  of  the  lion,  and  honey.  9And  he  scraped 
it  out  into  his  hands,  and  went  on,  eating  as  he  went;  and  he  came  to  his 
father  and  mother,  and  gave  to  them,  and  they  ate,  but  he  did  not  tell  them 
that  he  had  taken  the  honey  out  of  the  body  of  the  lion. 

10And  Samsonp  went  down  to  the  woman,  and  gave  a feast  there  (for  so 
bridegrooms  used  to  do).  11  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  saw  him,  that 
they  took  thirty  companions  and  they  were  with  him.  12 And  Samson  said 
to  them,  Let  me  now  propose  to  you  a riddle;  if  you  can  give  me  the  correct 
answer  within  the  seven  days  of  the  feast,  and  find  it  out,  then  I will  give  you 
thirty  fine  linen  wrappers  and  thirty  festal  garments;  13but  if  you  cannot 
give  me  the  answer,  then  you  shall  give  me  thirty  fine  linen  wrappers  and 
thirty  festal  garments.  And  they  said  to  him,  Propose  your  riddle,  that  we 
may  hear  it.  14And  he  said  to  them, 

Out  of  the  eater  came  something  to  eat, 

And  out  of  the  strong  came  something  sweet.11 

But  for  sixr  days  they  could  not  solve  the  riddle. 

15Then  on  the  seventh  day  they  said  to  Samson’s  wife.  Beguile  your  hus- 
band, that  he  may  explain  the  riddle  to  us,  lest  we  burn  you  and  your  father’s 
house  with  fire.  Did  you  invite  us  to  impoverish  us?3  16And  Samson’s 
wife  wept  continually  before  him,  and  said,  You  do  not  love  me,  you  only 
hate  me;  you  have  given  a riddle  to  my  fellow-countrymen  and  have  not  told 
it  to  me.  And  he  said  to  her,  Behold,  I have  not  told  it  to  my  father  nor 
my  mother,  and  shall  I tell  you  ? 17And  she  wept  before  him  the  seven  days, 
while  their  feast  lasted.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  seventh  day  that  he 
told  her,  because  she  importuned  him ; and  she  told  the  riddle  to  her  fellow- 
countrymen.  18Then  the  men  of  the  city  said  to  him  on  the  seventh  day 

° 145  So  Gk.  Heb.  has,  they. 

v 1410  Heb.  and  the  versions  read,  and  his  father  went  down  to  the  woman  and  Samson  made 
a feast.  The  cause  of  this  confusion,  which  is  contrary  to  the  testimony  of  the  context,  has 
been  noted  in  the  introduction  to  this  section. 

o 14"  Following  the  felicitous  translation  suggested  by  Moore  ( Judges , 335). 

r 14H  Heb.,  three,  but  15  would  seem  to  indicate  that  it  originally  read  six.  Gk.,  Syr.  read 
fourth  for  seventh  in  51.  In  >7,  however,  Samson’s  wife  wept  before  him  seven  days.  The  con- 
tradiction is  ineradicable.  Probably  the  details  regarding  the  time  were  not  original  in  14.  ls. 

■ 1415  Following  certain  Heb.  manuscripts  and  Targ.  Heb.  adds  the  meaningless  phrase, 
it  it  nott 


342 


MARRIAGE  WITH  THE  PHILISTINE  [Judg.  1418 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

before  the  sun  went  down.  What  is  sweeter  than  honey  ? and  what  is  stronger 
than  a lion  ? And  he  said  to  them, 

If  with  my  heifer  you  did  not  plow, 

You  had  not  solved  my  riddle  now.1 

19Then  the  spirit  of  Jehovah  rushed  upon  him,  and  he  went  down  to  His  pay. 
Ashkelon,  and  killed  thirty  of  their  men,  and  took  their  spoil  and  gave  the  thefo!* 
festal  garments  to  those  who  had  told  the  answer  of  the  riddle.  But  he  was  depart1 
very  angry,  and  went  up  to  his  father’s  house. u 20 And  Samson’s  bride  was  1116 
given  to  his  companion,  who  had  been  his  friend. 

§ 148.  Samson’s  Vengeance  upon  the  Philistines,  Judg.  15 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  15  JNow  it  came  to  pass  after  a while,  in  the  time  of  wheat  sam- 
harvest,  that  Samson  went  to  visit  his  wife  with  a kid ; and  he  said.  Let  me  destruc- 
go  into  the  inner  apartment  to  my  wife.  But  her  father  would  not  allow  thcPhu- 
him  to  go  in.  2And  her  father  said,  I thought  that  you  must  surely  hate  her,  grata-8' 
so  I gave  her  to  your  friend.  Is  not  her  younger  sister  more  beautiful  than  °elds 
she?  Take  her  then,  instead.  3But  Samson  said  to  him,  This  time  I shall 
not  be  to  blame,  if  I do  the  Philistines  an  injury.  4So  Samson  went  and 
caught  three  hundred  foxes,  and  took  torches,  and  turned  tail  to  tail,  and  put 
a torch  between  every  pair  of  tails.  5And  when  he  had  set  the  torches  on 
fire,  he  let  them  go  into  the  standing  grain  of  the  Philistines,  and  burned  up 
both  the  shocks  and  the  standing  grain,  with  the  olive  yards  besides. 

6Then  the  Philistines  said,  Who  has  done  this  ? And  they  said,  Samson,  the  His  ven- 
son-in-law  of  the  Timnite,  because  he  took  his  wife  and  gave  her  to  his  friend.  Forth! 
And  the  Philistines  went  up,  and  burnt  her  and  her  father  with  fire.  7Then  h!s  wife 
Samson  said  to  them,  If  this  is  the  way  you  do,  I swear  that  I will  not  stop 
until  I have  had  my  revenge.  8So  he  smote  them  hip  and  thigh  with  a 
great  slaughter;  and  he  went  down  and  dwelt  in  the  cleft  of  the  Cliff  of  Etam. 

9Then  the  Philistines  went  up  and  encamped  in  Judah,  and  spread  them-  Hiscapt- 
selves  abroad  in  Lehi.  10And  the  men  of  Judah  said,  Why  have  you  come  the  Ju- 
up  against  us?  And  they  said,  We  have  come  up  to  bind  Samson,  to  do  to  anSde- 
him  as  he  has  done  to  us.  uThen  three  thousand  men  of  Judah  went  down  thePhu- 
to  the  cleft  of  the  Cliff  of  Etam,  and  said  to  Samson,  Do  you  not  know  that lstmes 
the  Philistines  are  our  rulers  ? What  then  is  this  that  you  have  done  to  us  ? 

And  he  said  to  them.  As  they  did  to  me,  so  have  I done  to  them.  12And  they 
said  to  him,  We  have  come  down  to  bind  you,  that  we  may  deliver  you  into  the 
power  of  the  Philistines.  And  Samson  said  to  them,  Swear  to  me,  that  you 
will  not  fall  upon  me  yourselves.  13And  they  said  to  him,  No;  we  will  simply 
bind  you  securely,  and  deliver  you  into  their  power;  but  we  will  not  kill  you. 

And  they  bound  him  with  two  new  ropes,  and  brought  him  up  from  the  Cliff. 

1 1418  This  ie  a rare  example  of  rhyme  in  the  Heb.  The  closing  words  of  the  two  lines  are 
tglathi  and  hidathi. 

u 1419  xhis  verse  may  be  a secondary  addition. 

34:3 


His  es- 
cape and 
slaugh- 
ter of 
the  Phil- 
istines 


Origin  of 
the  fa- 
mous 
spring 
at  Leni 


Sam- 
son’s 
escape 
from 
Gaza 
with  the 
city 
gates 


Delilah's 
attempts 
to  betray 
Samson 
to  the 
Philis- 
tines by 
the  sev- 
en bow- 
strings 


Judg.  1514]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS  : SAMSON 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

14When  he  came  to  Lehi,  the  Philistines  shouted  as  they  met  him.  Then 
the  spirit  of  Jehovah  rushed  upon  him,  and  the  ropes  that  were  on  his  arms 
became  like  flax  that  has  been  burned  in  the  fire,  and  his  bonds  melted  from 
off  his  hands.  15And  he  found  a fresh  jawbone  of  an  ass,  and  reached  out 
his  hand  and,  grasping  it,  he  killed  a thousand  men  with  it.  16Then  Samson 
said, 

With  the  jawbone  of  an  ass  have  I piled  them  up, 

With  the  jawbone  of  an  ass  have  I slain  a thousand  men. 

17 And  when  he  had  finished  saying  this,  he  threw  away  the  jawbone  from  his 
hand ; therefore  that  place  was  called  Ramath-lehi  [Throwing  of  the  jawbone].v 

18And  he  was  very  thirsty  and  called  on  Jehovah,  and  said,  Thou  hast 
given  this  great  deliverance  through  thy  servant,  and  now  I shall  die  of  thirst, 
and  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  uncircumcised  ? 19Then  God  cleft  the  Mortar 
which  is  in  Lehi,  and  water  flowed  from  it;  and  when  he  drank,  his  spirits 
rose  and  he  revived;  therefore  its  name  was  called  En-hakkore  [Spring  of  the 
caller], w which  is  in  Lehi  to  this  day.  20 And  he  judged  Israel  in  the  days  of  the 
Philistines  twenty  years. 

§ 14-9.  Samson’s  Feat  with  the  Gates  of  Gaza,  Judg.  16* 1'3 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  16  'Now  Samson  went  to  Gaza,  and  saw  there  a harlot,  and  went  in 
unto  her.  2When  the  Gazites  were  toldx  that  Samson  was  there,  they  set 
spies  to  lie  in  wait  for  him  all  night  at  the  gate  of  the  city,y  and  they 
were  quiet  all  the  night,  saying,  When  morning  dawns,  then  we  will  kill 
him.  3And  Samson  lay  until  midnight,  and  at  midnight  he  arose,  and 
took  hold  of  the  doors  of  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  the  two  posts,  and  pulled 
them  up,  bar  and  all,  and  put  them  on  his  shoulders  and  carried  them  up  to 
the  top  of  the  mountain  which  is  before  Hebron. 

§ 150.  Samson’s  Betrothal  to  Delilah,  Judg.  164-31 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

Judg.  16  4Then  afterwards  he  fell  in  love  with  a woman  in  the  valley  of 
Sorek,  whose  name  was  Delilah.  5And  the  tyrants  of  the  Philistines  came 
to  her  and  said  to  her,  Beguile  him  and  see  why  his  strength  is  so  great, 
and  how  we  may  overcome  him,  that  we  may  bind  him  to  torment  him, 
and  we  will  each  one  of  us  give  you  eleven  hundred  shekels  of  silver.  6So 
Delilah  said  to  Samson,  Tell  me,  I pray,  why  your  strength  is  so  great,  and 
how  you  might  be  bound  to  torment  you.  7 And  Samson  said  to  her,  If  they 

v 1517  This  appears  to  have  been  the  popular  etymology  based  on  similarity  of  sound. 
The  literal  meaning  is,  Height  of  Lehi. 

w 1519  Lit.,  Spring  of  the  partridge. 

§ 149  A brief,  though  complete,  version  of  a story  which  may  originally  have  been  told 
with  greater  details.  It  has  no  close  connection  with  those  which  precede  and  follow,  except 
that  it  belonged  to  the  same  cycle  of  traditions. 

1 162  In  the  Heb.  it  was  told  has  dropped  out.  Gk.  and  Lat.  supply  it. 

r 162  The  verse  appears  to  have  been  somewhat  expanded  by  a later  editor. 

344- 


FEAT  WITH  THE  GATES  OF  GAZA  [Judg.  167 
Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

should  bind  me  with  seven  green  bowstrings  which  were  never  dried,  then  I 
would  become  weak,  and  be  like  any  other  man.  8Then  the  tyrants  of  the 
Philistines  brought  her  seven  green  bowstrings  which  had  not  been  dried, 
and  she  bound  him  with  them.  9Now  she  had  men  waiting  in  conceal- 
ment in  the  inner  apartment.  And  she  said  to  him,  The  Philistines  are 
upon  you  Samson.  But  he  snapped  the  bowstrings  as  a string  of  tow  is 
snapped  when  it  comes  near2  the  fire.  So  the  source  of  his  strength  was  not 
disclosed. 

10Then  Delilah  said  to  Samson,  Behold,  you  have  deceived  me  and  told  By  the 
me  lies;  now  tell  me,  I pray,  with  what  you  can  be  bound.  11  And  he  said  ropes 
to  her.  If  they  should  bind  me  securely  with  new  ropes,  with  which  no  work 
has  been  done,  then  I should  become  weak,  and  be  like  any  other  man.  12So 
Delilah  took  new  ropes,  and  bound  him  with  them,  and  said  to  him,  The 
Philistines  are  upon  you  Samson.  And  the  men  were  waiting  in  concealment 
in  the  inner  apartment.  But  he  snapped  them  from  off  his  arms  like  thread. 

13And  Delilah  said  to  Samson,  Hitherto  you  have  deceived  me,  and  told  Byweav- 
me  lies;  tell  me  with  what  you  can  be  bound.  And  he  said  to  her,  If  you  locks 'in 
should  weave  the  seven  braids  of  my  head  with  the  web,  and  fasten  it  with  the  a uom 
pin,  I would  become  weak  and  be  like  any  other  man.a  14So  while  he  was 
asleep,  she  took  the  seven  braids  of  his  hair  and  wove  it  with  the  web,  and 
fastened  it  with  the  pin,  and  said  to  him,  The  Philistines  are  upon  you  Samson. 

And  he  awoke  out  of  his  sleep,  and  pulled  up  the  beam  and  the  web. 

15Then  she  said  to  him,  How  can  you  say,  I love  you,  when  you  do  not  Hisdis- 
confide  in  me?b  you  have  deceived  me  these  three  times,  and  have  not  told  Ss  se- 
me the  secret  of  your  great  strength.  16And  it  came  to  pass  when  she  im-  cret 
portuned  him  every  day,  and  urged  him,  that  his  patience  was  exhausted.* *5 
17 And  he  confided  in  her,  and  said  to  her,  A razor  has  never  come  upon  my 
head;  for  I have  been  a Nazirite  to  God  from  my  mother’s  womb.  If  I 
should  be  shaved,  then  my  strength  would  go  from  me,  and  I would  become 
weak,  and  be  like  any  other  man. 

18And  when  Delilah  saw  that  he  had  told  her  all  his  heart,  she  sent  and  rnscapt- 
called  for  the  tyrants  of  the  Philistines,  saying,  Come  up  this  once,  for  he  fateaf- 
has  told  me  all  his  heart.  Then  the  tyrants  of  the  Philistines  came  up  llhom'of 
to  her,  and  brought  the  money  in  their  hands.  19 And  she  put  him  to  sleep  hls  locks 
upon  her  knees.  Then  she  called  for  a man,  and  had  him  shave  off  the  seven 
braids  on  his  head ; and  she  began  to  torment  him,  and  his  strength  went  from 
him.  20 And  she  said  the  Philistines  are  upon  you,  Samson.  And  he  awoke 
out  of  his  sleep,  and  thought,  I will  go  out  as  I have  time  and  time  again  and 
shake  myself  free;  for  he  did  not  know  that  Jehovah  had  departed  from  him. 

21Then  the  Philistines  laid  hold  of  him,  and  put  out  his  eyes;  and  they  brought 
him  down  to  Gaza,  and  bound  him  with  fetters  of  brass;  and  he  was  set  to 
grinding  in  the  prison.  22But  the  hair  of  his  head  began  to  grow  again  after 
he  was  shaved. 


1 169  Heb.,  scents. 

» 16l3b-  14a  Not  found  in  Heb.,  but  in  Gk.  and  probably  in  the  original,  cf.  T-  u. 
b 1615  Heb.,  seeing  your  heart  is  not  with  me. 

• 1616  Heb.,  his  soul  was  short. 


345 


The 
Philis- 
tines’ 
least  of 
triumph 


Sam- 
son’s il- 
lustrious 
death 


His 

burial 


Judg.  1623]  HEBREW  DELIVERERS  : SAMSON 

Early  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

23 And  the  tyrants  of  the  Philistines  assembled  to  offer  a great  sacrifice  to 
Dagon  their  god,  and  to  rejoice;  for  they  said,  Our  god  hath  delivered  Samson 
our  enemy  into  our  power.  24And  when  the  people  saw  him,  they  praised 
their  god;  for  they  said, 

Under  our  sway  our  god  has  brought  low 
Our  foe, — 

Him  who  wrought  our  country’s  woe, 

Him  who  slew  many  of  us  at  a blow.d 

25And  it  came  to  pass,  when  they  were  in  high  spirits,  that  they  said,  Call 
for  Samson,  that  he  may  make  us  sport.  So  they  called  Samson  from  the 
prison;  and  he  made  sport  before  them.  And  they  placed  him  between  the 
pillars. 

26Then  Samson  said  to  the  young  man  who  held  him  by  the  hand,  Put  me 
where  I may  feel  the  pillars  on  which  the  house  rests,  that  I may  lean  upon 
them.  27Now  the  house  was  full  of  men  and  women  and  all  the  tyrants 
of  the  Philistines  were  there;  and  there  were  upon  the  roof  about  three  thousand 
men  and  women,  who  were  looking  on  while  Samson  made  sport.  28 And 
Samson  called  on  Jehovah,  and  said,  O Lord  Jehovah,  remember  me,  I 
pray  thee,  and  strengthen  me,  I pray  thee,  only  this  once,  O God,  that  I 
may  avenge  myself  on  the  Philistines  for  one  of  my  two  eyes.  29Then 
Samson  took  hold  of  the  two  middle  pillars  upon  which  the  house  rested, 
one  with  his  right  hand,  and  the  other  with  his  left,  and  leaned  upon  them. 
30 And  Samson  said,  Let  me  myself  die  with  the  Philistines.  And  he  bent 
with  all  his  might®  And  the  house  fell  upon  the  tyrants,  and  upon  all  the 
people  who  were  in  it.  So  those  whom  he  killed  at  his  death  were  more 
than  those  whom  he  killed  during  his  life. 

31Then  his  brothers  and  all  his  father’s  household  came  down  and  took 
him,  and  brought  him  up  and  buried  him  between  Zorah  and  Eshtaol  in 
the  burying-place  of  Manoah  his  father.  And  he  had  judged  Israel  twenty  years. 


d 1624  This  is  another  of  the  few  examples  of  ancient  Heb.  poetry  in  which  the  rhyme  is 
prominent.  The  passage  means  literally.  Our  god  has  given  into  our  power  our  foe,  and  the 
devastator  of  our  country,  and  he  who  slew  many  of  us.  An  effort  has  been  made  in  the  transla- 
tion to  reproduce  the  original  rhyme,  which  runs  in  the  Heb.: 

Nathan  elohenu  beyadenu 
eth-dyebenu, 
we-eth  mdcharib  drenu. 
wa-asher  hlrbdh  eth-chdldlenu. 

• 16s0  Or,  pulled  with  all  his  might. 


346 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 


I 

SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY  AND  DETAILED  REFERENCES 


GENERAL  INTRODUCTIONS  TO  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT* 

Abbott,  Life  and  Literature  of  the  Ancient  Hebrews,  1900. 

Addis,  The  Documents  of  the  Hexateuch,  I,  II,  1893-98. 

Albers,  Die  Quellenberichte  in  Josua,  I-XII,  1891. 

Bacon,  Genesis  of  Genesis,  1892. 

The  Triple  Tradition  of  the  Exodus,  1894. 

Bennett  and  Adeney,  Biblical  Introduction,  1899. 

Briggs,  Higher  Criticism  of  the  Hexateuch 2 1897. 

Carpenter  and  Harford-Battersby,  The  Hexateuch,  I,  II,  1900. 

Cornill,  Einleitung  in  das  A.T.,3  1896. 

Driver,  Introduction  to  the  Literature  of  the  O.T.,8  1901. 

Encyclopaedia  Biblica.  Articles,  “Hexateuch,”  “Genesis,”  etc. 

Gunkel,  The  Legends  of  Genesis,  1902. 

Hastings’s  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.  Articles,  “Hexateuch,”  “Genesis,”  etc. 
Holzinger,  Einleitung  in  den  Hexateuch,  1893. 

Kautzsch,  Die  Heilige  Schrift  des  A.T.,  1894. 

Literature  of  the  O.T.,  1899. 

Kautzsch-Socin,  Genesis,2  1891. 

Konig,  Einleitung  in  das  A.T.,  1893. 

Kuenen,  The  Hexateuch,  1886. 

Die  Biicher  des  A.T.,  1885. 

McFadyen,  Messages  of  the  Prophetic  and  Priestly  Historians,  1902. 

O.T.  Criticism  and  the  Christian  Church,  1903. 

Moulton,  The  Literary  Study  of  the  Bible,  1896. 

Reuss,  History  and  Literature  of  the  O.T.,  1896. 

Ryle,  Canon  of  the  O.T.,2  1895. 

Sacred  Books  of  the  O.T.  (edited  by  Haupt). 

Smith,  G.  A.,  Modern  Criticism  and  the  Preaching  of  the  O.T. , 1901. 
Smith,  W.  R.,  The  O.T.  in  the  Jewish  Church  2 1892. 

Steuernagel,  Einleitung  in  den  H exateuch,  1900. 

Strack,  Einleitung  in  das  A.T.,  1895 


* Important  monographs  and  articles  in  current  periodicals  will  be  referred  to  under  Df 
tailed  References,  pp.  353-356. 

349 


SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY 


Wellhausen,  Composition  des  Hexateuchs  und  der  historischen  Bucher 
des  A.T .,3  1899. 

Prolegomena  to  the  History  of  Israel,  1895. 

Westphal,  Les  Sources  du  P entateuque,  I,  II,  1892. 

Wildeboer,  The  Origin  of  the  Canon  of  the  O.T.,  1891. 

CONTEMPORARY  SEMITIC  AND  EGYPTIAN  LITERATURE 

Ball,  Light  from  the  East,  1899. 

Hogarth,  Authority  and  Archaeology,  1899. 

Johns,  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  Laws,  Contracts  and  Letters,  1904. 

King,  The  Letters  and  Inscriptions  of  Hammurabi,  III,  1900. 

The  Seven  Tablets  of  Creation,  I,  1902. 

Lidzbarski,  Handbuch  der  nordsemitischen  Epigraphik,  1898. 

Schrader,  Cuneiform  Inscriptions  and  the  O.T.,  1885-88. 

Die  Keilinschriften  und  das  A.T.,3  1901. 

K eilinschriftliche  Bibliothek,  I-VI,  1891. 

Steindorff,  Die  Blutenzeit  des  Pharaonenreichs,  1900. 

Winckler,  The  T ell-El-Amarna  Letters,  1896. 

HISTORY  OF  ISRAEL 

Cornill,  History  of  the  People  of  Israel,  1898. 

Encyclopaedia  Biblica,  article  “Israel.” 

Ewald,  History  of  the  People  of  Israel,  1869. 

Guthe,  Geschichte  des  Volkes  Israel,  1899. 

Hommel,  Ancient  Hebrew  Tradition  as  Illustrated  by  the  Monuments,  1897. 
Kent,  History  of  the  Hebrew  People,  The  United  Kingdom}1  1904. 
Kittel,  History  of  the  Hebrews,  I,  1895-96. 

Klostermann,  Geschichte  des  Volkes  Israel,  1896. 

Marquart,  Fundamente  Israelitischer  und  Judaischer  Geschichte,  1896. 
Piepenbring,  Histoire  du  Peuple  Israel,  1898. 

Renan,  History  of  the  People  of  Israel,  1896. 

Sayce,  The  Early  History  of  the  Hebrews,  1897. 

Smith,  H.  P.,  Old  Testament  History,  1903. 

Stade,  Geschichte  des  Volkes  Israel,  I,  1889;  II,  1888. 

Wade,  Old  Testament  History,  1903. 

Wellhausen,  Sketch  of  the  History  of  Israel  and  Judah,  1891. 

Israelitische  und  Judaische  Geschichte,  1897. 

Winckler,  Geschichte  Israels  in  Einzeldarstellung,  1895-1900. 
Alttestamentliche  Untersuchungen,  1892. 

CONTEMPORARY  SEMITIC  AND  EGYPTIAN  HISTORY 

Buhl,  Geschichte  der  Edomiter,  1893. 

Erman,  Life  in  Ancient  Egypt,  1894. 

Goodspeed,  History  of  the  Babylonians  and  Assyrians,  1902. 

350 


SEMITIC  AND  EGYPTIAN  HISTORIES 


Hommel,  Geschichte  Babyloniens  und  Assyriens,  1885. 
von  Landau,  Die  Phonizier  in  Das  alte  Orient,  II,  4,  1901. 

Maspero,  The  Dawn  of  Civilization,  1895. 

Struggle  of  the  Nations,  1897. 

McCurdy,  History,  Prophecy  and  the  Monuments,  I-III,  1894-1901. 
Meyer,  Geschichte  des  alien  Aegyptens,  1887. 

Geschichte  des  Alterthums,  I,  1884. 

Mtiiler,  W.  M.,  Asien  und  Europa  nach  altagyptischen  Denkm'dler,  1893. 
Paton,  Early  History  of  Syria  and  Palestine,  1901. 

Petrie,  History  of  Egypt  I-III,  1899. 

Pietschmann,  Geschichte  der  Phonizier,  1889. 

Radau,  Early  Babylonian  History,  1900. 

Rogers,  History  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria,  I,  II,  1900. 

Sayce,  Babylonians  and  Assyrians,  1900. 

“ The  Hittites,  1890. 

Tiele,  B abylonis ch-assyris che  Geschichte,  1886-88. 

Wiedemann,  Geschichte  von  Alt-Aegypten,  1891. 

Winckler,  Untersuchungen  zur  altorientalischen  Geschichte,  1889. 

Die  Vblker  Vorderasiens,  1899. 

GEOGRAPHY 

Buhl,  Geographic  des  alien  Palastina,  1896. 

Cooke,  Palestine  in  Geography  and  History,  I,  II,  1901. 

Smith,  Historical  Geography  of  the  Holy  Land,6  1899. 

Stewart,  The  Land  of  Israel,2  1900. 

ARCHAEOLOGY 

Benzinger,  Hebraische  Archaologie,  1894. 

Hilprecht,  Recent  Research  in  Bible  Lands,  1896. 

Nowack,  Lehrbuch  der  hebraischen  Archaologie,  I,  II,  1894. 

Perrot  and  Chipiez,  History  of  Art  in  Antiquity,  1884-92. 

HEBREW  LEXICONS  AND  GRAMMARS 

Brown-Briggs-Driver,  Hebrew  and  English  Lexicon  of  the  Old  Testament, 
1891. 

Gesenius-Buhl,  Hebraisches  H andwbrt erbu ch,13  1899. 

Gesenius-Kautzsch,  Hebrew  Grammar  26  1898. 

Siegfried-Stade,  Hebraisches  Worterbuch,  1893. 

Stade,  Lehrbuch  der  hebraischen  Grammatik. 

RELIGION  OF  ISRAEL 

Budde,  Religion  of  Israel  to  the  Exile,  1899. 

Dillmann,  Handbuch  der  alttestamentlichen  Theologie,  1895. 

Duff,  The  Theology  and  Ethics  of  the  Hebrews,  1902. 

351 


SELECTED  BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Marti,  Geschichte  der  Israelitischen  Religion ,3  1897. 

Montefiore,  Religion  of  the  Ancient  Hebrews,  1892. 

Robertson,  The  Early  Religion  of  Israel,  1903. 

Schultz,  Old  Testament  Theology,  I,  II,  1892. 

Smend,  Lehrbuch  der  alttestamentlichen  Religionsg eschichte,  1893. 
yon  Gall,  Altisraelitische  Kultstatten,  1898. 

RELIGIONS  OF  CONTEMPORARY  PEOPLES 

Barton,  A Sketch  of  Semitic  Origins,  1902. 

Curtiss,  Primitive  Semitic  Religion  To-day,  1902. 

Jastrow,  Religion  of  Babylonia  and  Assyria,  1898. 

Lenormant,  Beginnings  of  History,  1882. 
de  la  Saussaye,  Religions -Geschichte,  I,  1897. 

Smith,  W.  R.,  Religion  of  the  Semites. 

Wellhausen,  Reste  arabischen  Heidenthums,  1897. 


Genesis 


COMMENTARIES 


Budde,  Urg eschichte,  1883. 

Davis,  Genesis  and  Semitic  Traditions,  1894. 
Dillmann,  Genesis,  I,  II,  1888. 

Dods,  Genesis. 

Driver,  Genesis,  1904. 

Gunkel,  Genesis,  1902. 

Schopfung  und  Chaos,  1895. 

Holzinger,  Genesis,  1898. 

Mitchell,  The  World  Before  Abraham,  1902. 

Ryle,  The  Early  Narratives  of  Genesis,  1892. 

Spurred,  Notes  on  the  Hebrew  Text  of  Genesis,  1896. 
Strack,  Genesis,  1897. 

Wade,  The  Book  of  Genesis,  1896. 


Exodus 

Baentsch,  Exodus-Leviticus,  1902. 

Dillmann,  Exodus  and  Leviticus,  1880. 

Holzinger,  Exodus,  1900. 

Numbers 

Baentsch,  Numeri,  1903. 

Dillmann,  Numeri,  D euteronomium  und  Josua,  1886. 

Gray,  Numbers,  1903. 

Holzinger,  Numeri,  1903. 

Deuteronomy 

Driver,  Deuteronomy,  1895. 

Oettli,  Das  D euteronomium  und  die  Bucher  Josua  und  Richter,  1893. 
Steuernagel,  Das  D euteronomium,  1898. 

352 


COMMENTARIES 


Joshua 

Holzinger,  Josua,  1901. 

Steuernagel,  Josua,  1898. 

Judges 

Budde,  Das  Buck  Richter,  1897. 

“ Richter  und  Samuel,  1890. 

Cooke,  The  History  and  Song  of  Deborah,  1892. 

Moore,  Judges,  1895. 

Nowack,  Richter,  1900. 

Ruth 

Bertholet,  Ruth,  1898. 

Nowack,  Ruth,  1901. 

DETAILED  REFERENCES 

The  following  detailed  references  have  been  prepared  especially  to  meet 
the  needs  of  college  and  Bible  classes  and  private  readers.  They  do  not 
aim  to  give  a complete  bibliography,  but  rather  to  call  attention  to  the 
more  important  books  and  sections  dealing  with  a given  topic.  Naturally, 
greater  prominence  is  given  to  works  written  in  English,  but  significant 
chapters  or  articles  in  French  or  German  sources  are  also  referred  to  and  are 
distinguished  by  being  printed  in  italics,  and  at  the  end  of  each  section. 
To  economize  space  the  standard  works  are  represented  simply  by  the 
names  of  their  authors,  followed  by  the  initial  letters  of  the  chief  words  in 
the  titles.  Whenever  there  is  any  doubt  regarding  the  meaning  of  the 
abbreviations,  they  can  be  readily  identified  by  referring  to  the  Selected 
Bibliography  (pp.  349  ff.),  where  each  book  will  be  found  classified  alpha- 
betically according  to  the  name  of  its  author.  In  the  classification  of  the 
references  the  order  of  the  main  divisions  of  this  volume  has  been  followed 
so  that  they  can  be  used,  in  connection  with  the  text,  as  guides  in  further 
systematic,  comprehensive  study. 

The  History  of  Israel’s  Early  Records 

General  Introduction:  Encyc.  Bib.  II,  2075-82;  Gunkel  LG  1-36, 
88-122;  Kautzsch  LOT  1-30;  Bacon  GG  10-26;  Abbott  LLAH;  McFadyen 
MPPH  1-20;  Mitchell  WA  1-35. 

Literary  Form : Gunkel  LG  37-87;  Moulton  LSB  221-254. 

History  and  Method  of  the  Critical  Analysis : Hastings  DB II,  363-6; 
Encyc.  Bib.  II,  2045-50;  Carpenter  and  Battersby  H I,  1-69;  Bacon  GG 
27-54;  Cheyne,  Founders  of  O.T.  Criticism;  McFadyen  OTC  137-173; 
Briggs,  Biblical  Study,  chap.  VII;  Briggs  HCH  chaps.  IV,  VI;  Westphal, 
SP  I,  45-228;  Cornill,  EAT  18-26;  Holzinger  EH  25-70. 

Characteristics,  Dates  and  History  of  the  Different  Groups  of 
Narratives:  Hastings  DB  II,  367-75;  Encyc.  Bib.  II,  2050-9;  Driver 

353 


DETAILED  REFERENCES 

LOT8  116-159;  Bacon  GG  55-96;  Kautzsch  LOT  31-45,  94,  95,  106-120; 
Carpenter  and  Battersby  H I,  70-184;  Gunkel  LG  123-160;  Wellhausen 
PHI  295-362;  Kuenen  H;  Mitchell  WA  36-67;  Cornill,  EAT  42-68;  Hol- 
ding er  EIT  71-504.  For  the  documents  J,  E and  P separately  restored 
cf.  Bacon  GG  227-350  and  TP  281-382.  A continuous  analysis  of  each 
is  found  in  Duff  TEH  219-285. 

The  Beginnings  of  Human  History 

Geographical  Background.  (1)  Babylonia:  Goodspeed  BA  3-13;  Encyc. 
Bib.  I,  214;  Maspero  DC  702-784;  Rogers  BA  I,  266-301.  (2)  Egypt: 

Erman  LAE  7-28;  Maspero  DC  1-46.  (3)  Syria  and  Arabia:  Maspero 

SN  1-19;  Encyc.  Bib.  IV,  4845-50;  Hastings  DB  131-5;  Cuinet,  Syrie, 
Liban  et  Palestine. 

Historical  Background.  (1)  Origin  and  movements  of  the  primitive 
Semitic  peoples:  Barton SSO  1-29;  Encyc.  Bib.,  article  “Semitic Languages”; 
Hastings  DB  V,  83-91;  Wright,  Comparative  Semitic  Grammar,  1-10;  Brin- 
ton,  Cradle  of  the  Semites.  (2)  Early  Babylonian  History  and  Civilization: 
Goodspeed  BA  49-99;  Radau  EBH;  Sayce  BA;  Hastings  DB  I,  224-7. 
(3)  Egyptian  History  and  Civilization;  Erman  LAE  36-52,  79-101;  Encyc. 
Bib.  II,  1231-7;  Maspero  DC  153-536.  (4)  Early  History  of  Syria  and 

Arabia:  Paton  EHSP  1-47;  Maspero  SN  49-67;  McCurdy  IIPM  I,  9,17, 
126-128,  134-140;  Hastings  DB  I,  81-152. 

The  Religious  Background:  Goodspeed  BA  99-106;  Jastrow  RBA 
51-406,  556-689;  Maspero  DC  621-701;  Barton  SSO  81-268;  Smith  RS; 
de  la  Saussaye  RG  I,  88-241;  Pietschmann  GP  152-237. 

Analysis  of  the  Sources:  Carpenter  and  Battersby  H II,  1-17;  Bacon 
GG  97-118;  Driver  LOT8  14,  15;  Mitchell  WA  68-72. 

Origin  of  the  Stories  and  their  Ancient  Parallels:  cf.  Appendices 
III-V;  Ryle  ENG;  Davis  GST;  Lenormant  BH ; articles  “Creation, 
Cosmogony,  Fall,  Cain,  Flood,  Deluge,  Babel,”  in  the  Bible  dictionaries; 
Ball  LE  1-50;  King  STC;  Radau,  The  Creation  Story  of  Genesis;  Jastrow 
RBA  407-555;  Schrader  KAT?J  and  KB  2,  parts  1,  2;  Gunkel  SC;  Budde  U. 

Literary  Analysis  and  Interpretation:  Mitchell  WA  73-280;  Driver, 
G;  Smith  OTII  11-34;  Dillmann  G I,  27-394;  Gunkel  G 1-145;  Holzinger 
Gl-123. 

Religious  Teachings:  McFadyen  MPPH  27,  28,  32-8;  Horton,  Reve- 
lation and  the  Bible,  1-49;  Smith  MCPOT  89-98. 

The  Traditional  Ancestors  of  the  Hebrews 

Historical  Background.  (1)  Babylonia:  Goodspeed  HBA  107-130; 
Rogers  HBA  I,  386-407;  Encyc.  Bib.  I,  445-6;  Hastings  DB  I,  227;  King 
LIH  III.  (2)  Egypt:  Erman  LAE  102-129,  520-550;  Maspero  SN  209-340. 
(3)  Canaan:  Paton  EHSP  47-121;  Maspero  SN  126-208. 

Analysis  of  the  Sources.  (1)  Abraham  Stories:  McFadyen  MPPH 
27-42;  Hastings  DB  I,  13,  14;  Carpenter  and  Battersby  H I,  272-3,  II, 
18-37;  Driver  LOT8,  15,  159;  Bacon  GG  118-152.  (2)  Jacob  Stories: 

354 


REGARDING  THE  ANCESTORS  OF  THE  HEBREWS 

McFadyen  MPPH  43-48;  Hastings  DB  II,  526;  Carpenter  and  Battersby 
H I 273-4,  II,  37-58;  Bacon  GG  152-185;  Driver  LOT8,  16,  17.  (3)  Joseph 

Stories:  McFadyen  MPPH  48-52;  Hastings  DB  II,  769,  770;  Kittel  HH  I, 
144-7;  Bacon  GG  185,  223;  Carpenter  and  Battersby  H II,  59-79;  Driver 
LOT8,  17,  18. 

Literary  Analysis  and  Interpretation : Dillmann  G I,  395-413,  II, 
1-492;  Driver  G;  Smith  OTH  35-51;  GunkelG  146-44;  Holzinger  G 124 - 
265. 

Origin  and  Historical  Basis,  (l)  Abraham  Stories:  article  “Abraham” 
in  Encyc.  Bib.  and  Hastings  DB;  Cornill  HPI  27-32;  Paton  EHSP  34-46; 
Bacon  in  New  World,  vol.  VIII;  Kittel  HI  I,  114-183.  (2)  Genesis  14: 
Carpenter  and  Battersby  H I,  164-171;  articles  in  Expository  Times  by 
Driver,  Oct.,  Dec.,  1896,  by  Johns,  Oct.,  1903;  Ball  LE  65-71;  King  LIH. 
(3)  Jacob  Stories:  articles  “Jacob”  and  “Esau”  in  Encyc.  Bib.  and 
Hastings  DB.  (4)  Joseph  Stories:  article  “ Joseph”  in  Encyc.  Bib.  and 
Hastings  DB;  Kittel  HH  I,  183-191;  Maspero  SN  69-72;  Ball  LE  73-81. 
(5)  Religious  Teachings:  Hastings  DB  II,  147-8;  McFadyen  MPPH 
29-32,  38-51,  76-83;  Duff  TEH  24-37;  Smith  MCPOT  98-109. 


Deliverance  of  the  Hebrews  from  Egypt 

Historical  Background:  Encyc.  Bib.  II,  1240-2,  2218-2221;  Paton 
EHSP  74-150;  Erman  LAE  102-550;  McCurdy  HPM  I,  173-189;  Maspero 
SN  296-440,453-481;  Cornill  HPI  39-95;  Hastings  DB  I,  394-398,  661-2; 
Sayce,  Egypt  of  the  Hebrews  and  Herodotus;  Ball  LE  83-130;  Winckler 
TAL;  Steindorff  BP;  Winckler  AOF  I,  part  2. 

Analysis  of  the  Sources:  Hastings  DB  I,  806-7;  Carpenter  and  Bat- 
tersby H II,  79-103;  Driver  LOT8  22-28;  Bacon  TT  1-103;  Holzinger  G 
VII-XX. 

Literary  Analysis  and  Interpretation:  McFadyen  MPPH  52-55; 
Baentsch  E 1-137;  Holzinger  E 1-53;  Kuenen  BAT  143. 

Historical  Probability  of  the  Exodus : Budde  RIE  9-13;  Smith  OTH 
52-61;  Encyc.  Bib.  II,  1433,  2219-20;  Kittel  HH  I,  185-6;  Maspero  SN 
440-450;  Hervey  in  the  Expositor,  Dec.,  1893;  Toy  in  the  New  World, 
Mar.,  1893;  in  the  Expository  Times,  Hommel,  Mar.,  1899;  Orr,  Apr., 
1897;  Prasek,  Mar.,  Apr.,  June,  Aug.,  1900;  Sayce,  Apr.,  1899;  Wright, 
Was  Israel  ever  in  Egypt  ? 

Character  and  Work  of  Moses:  Kittel  HH  I,  227-281;  Cornill  HPI 
41-3,  48;  Hastings  DB  III,  438-446;  Biblical  World  VII,  105-119;  Kent 
HHP11  I,  43-45;  Smith  OTJC  302-4,  311;  Marti  RI  53-59. 


The  Hebrews  in  the  Wilderness  and  East  of  the  Jordan 

The  Geographical  Background:  Trumbull,  Kadesh-barnea;  article 
“Wilderness”  in  Bible  dictionaries;  Palmer,  The  Desert  of  the  Exodus. 

Analysis  of  the  Sources:  Hastings  DB  I,  808-11,  III,  567-73;  Encyc. 
Bib.  II,  1443-50,  III,  3440-9;  Bacon  TT  104-278;  Driver  LOT8  30-40, 

355 


DETAILED  REFERENCES 


60-69;  Gray  N XXIX-XXXIX;  Driver  D XIV-XIX;  Carpenter  and  Bat- 
tersby  H II,  103-138,  183-256. 

Literary  Analysis  and  Interpretation:  Gray  N;  Driver  D 1-62, 
106-131,  417-426;  Baentsch  E 138-305;  Holzinger  E 53-150;  Baentsch  N; 
Holzinger  N . 

Historical  Basis  of  the  Narratives:  Hastings  DB  I,  804-6;  Encyc. 
Bib.  II,  2222-3;  Smith  OTH  61-72;  Gray  N XLII-LII;  Paton  EHSP 
122-156. 

Origin  of  Israel’s  Religion  : Eneye.  Bib.  II,  2221-2;  Budde  RIE  12-38; 
Marti  HI  59-73 \SmendLAR  12-48;  de  la  Saussaye  RG  I,  245-266;  Nowack, 
Die  Entstehung  der  israelitischen  Religion. 

Conquest  and  Settlement  of  Canaan 

The  Land  of  Palestine:  Kent11  HHP  1,18-26;  Smith  HGHL  46-59; 
Stewart  LI  5-21,  65-338;  Hastings  DB  III,  640-8;  Eneyc.  Bib.  Ill,  3534- 
45;  Cooke  PGH  I;  Stade  GVI  I,  100-113. 

Conditions  in  Canaan:  Encyc.  Bib.  II,  2223-5;  McCurdy  HPM  I, 
199-205,  225-7;  Stewart  LI  28-35;  Paton  EHSP  157-160;  Maspero  SN  111- 
208;  Winckler  TAL;  Stade  GVI  I,  113-126. 

Analysis  of  the  Sources:  Hastings  DB  II,  779-785,  801-9;  Eneyc. 
Bib.  II,  2600-9,  2633-2642;  Driver  LOT8  103-116,  160-171,  453-456; 
Carpenter  and  Battersby  H II,  303-359;  Kittel  HH  I,  264-275,  II,  1-21; 
Moore  J XIII-XXXVII;  Cornill  EAT  86-105;  Albers  QJ;  Budde  BRS 
1-166,  BR  IX-XX. 

Literary  Analysis  and  Interpretation:  MeFadyen  MPPH  110-121, 

126-138;  Moore  J;  Cooke  HSD;  Encyc.  Bib.  II,  2222-9;  Budde  BR; 
Nowack  Ri,  Ruth;  Bertholet  R. 

Nature  of  the  Conquest  and  Settlement:  Hastings  DB  II,  786-8; 
Encyc.  Bib.  II,  2225-8;  Kittel  IIH  I,  275-300,  II,  60-76;  Kent  HHP11  I, 
59-61  ; Smith  OTH  71-86;  Stade  GVI  I,  133-145  ; Steuernagel,  Die  Ein- 
wanderung  der  israelitischen  Stdmme  in  Kanaan. 

Location  of  the  Different  Tribes:  Hastings  DB  III,  648-50;  Kittel 
HH  I,  275-311;  Kent  HHP11  I,  61-70;  Stade  GVI  I,  145-173. 

The  Deliverers  of  the  Hebrews:  Kent  HHP11  I,  71-83;  Smith  OTH 
87-105;  Kittel  IIH  II,  60-92;  Renan  HPI  I,  241-258,  273-300;  Smith 
HGHL  381-397;  Stade  GVI  I,  173-196. 

The  Religious  and  Social  Life  of  the  Hebrews:  Kent  HHP11  I, 
89-98;  Smith  OTH  103-105;  McCurdy  HPM  I,  31-38,  52-55;  Renan  HPI  I 
218-240;  Kittel  IIH  II,  93-102;  Schultz  OTT  I,  139-151;  Montefiore 
RAH  55-72;  Budde  RIE  39-76;  Smith  RS  140-212;  Duff  TEH  9-21: 
Day,  Social  Life  of  the  Hebrews;  Smend  LAT  48-55,  61-63,  70-74. 
130-151  ; Benzinger  HA  364-382,  405-9,  431-7;  Sellin,  Beitrdge  zur  israel- 
itischen und  jiidischen  Religionsgeschickte,  Heft  II. 


356 


JUDEAN  PROPHETIC  NARRATIVES 


II 

WORDS  AND  EXPRESSIONS  PECULIAR  TO  THE 
DIFFERENT  NARRATIVES 

The  following  lists  contain  only  those  words  and  expressions  occurring 
six  or  more  times  in  Genesis  to  Judges  inclusive,  and  found  at  least  three 
out  of  every  four  times  in  the  group  of  narratives  of  which  they  are  a char- 
acteristic. Where  they  do  not  occur  outside  the  given  group  of  narratives, 
except  in  editorial  additions,  the  fact  is  indicated  by  a *.  At  least  five 
references  are  usually  given  to  representative  passages  in  which  the  word 
or  expression  is  found.  Additional  references  and  fuller  tables  of  words, 
including  those  less  distinctive,  will  be  found  in  Carpenter  and  Harford- 
Battersby,  Hcxateuch,  I,  185-221  (based  on  the  RV  with  Hebrew  equiv- 
alents), and  in  Holzinger,  Einleitung  in  den  Hexateuch,  93-110,  181-191, 
283-291,  338-352  (based  on  the  Hebrew). 

Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

After  this  manner  or  in  this  manner.  Gen.  1825,  3917>  19,  442,  Josh.  2s*, 
And  it  came  to  pass  ivhen.  Gen.  61,  4321,  4424,  Josh.  1713. 

As  far  as * (lit.,  as  you  come).  Gen.  1019>  30,  1310,  2518. 

Before  or  not  yet.  Gen.  25,  194,  2415’  4S,  Ex.  930,  107,  1234. 

Beget,  to*  Gen.  418,  108’  13<  15>  24>  26  , 2223,  253. 

Behold  now.*  Gen.  1211,  162,  1821>  31,  192>  8,  272. 

Bless,  to.  Gen.  122,  241,  2624,  3027,  395,  Josh.  1714,  Judg.  1324. 

Both  . . . and,  or  (with  negative),  neither  . . . nor.  Gen.  2425» 
3219,  438,  4416,  4634,  473.  19,  Ex.  410,  514,  1231. 

Bow  the  head  and  worship.*  Gen.  2426>  48,  4328,  Ex.  431,  1227,  348. 
Brick  and  make  bricks*  Gen.  II3,  Ex.  I14,  57’  8-  14>  16-  18. 

Brother,  his  (=the  secoiid  of  two).*  Gen.  421,  1025,  2221,  2526,  3829. 

Call  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah,  to*  Gen.  426,  12s,  134,  2133,  2625,  Ex.  345. 
Called  the  name  or  his  name  was  called.  Gen.  1 19,  1922,  2934,  306,  Ex.  1523, 
Josh.  726,  Judg.  1324. 

Camels.*  Gen.  1216,  2410,  3043,  3117,  3725,  Ex.  93. 

Canaanite.  Gen.  1018,  126,  243’  37,  5011,  Num.  1443’  45. 

Cattle  or  Possessions.  Gen.  420,  Ex.  93,  4'  7 19,  1026. 

Come  down,  to  (of  Jehovah  to  the  earth).  Gen.  II5,  7,  1821,  Ex.  38, 
19n> 18  - 20,  345. 

Comfort,  to.  Gen.  529,  2467,  3735,  3812,  5021. 

Conceive,  to,  or  be  with  child.  Gen.  41-  17.  164-  n,  1936,  2 12,  2521,  Num. 

II12. 

Consume,  to,  or  destroy.  Gen.  1823’  24,  1915-  17,  Num.  1626. 

Cry  or  complaint.  Gen.  1821,  1913,  2734,  Ex.  37,  ll6,  1230. 

Dwell  in  the  midst  of  or  among,  to.  Gen.  243,  Josh.  625,  97>  16>  22,  131*, 
Judg.  I29,  32. 


357 


PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  DIFFERENT  SOURCES 


East  of.  Gen.  28,  324,  ll2,  128,  13lla,  Josh.  72. 

Fall  on  the  neck  and  weep,  to.  Gen.  334,  4514a,  4629. 

Find  favor,  to.  Gen.  68,  183,  1919,  325,  Ex.  3312>  13>  16,  Num.  ll11*  15. 
Flock  or  drove .*  Gen.  292a,  3’  8,  3040,  3216a’  19. 

Flocks  and  herds  or  sheep  and  oxen.  Gen.  1216,  135,  2435,  Ex.  93,  109-  24, 
Num.  ll22. 

Flowing  with  milk  and  honey.  Ex.  38’  17,  33s,  Num.  I327,  148,  1613. 
Garden.  Gen.  28'10,  15,  31"3,  1310. 

Goshen,  land  of*  Gen.  4510,  4628a’  29  > 34,  471’  4,  Ex.  822,  926. 

Hasten  or  make  haste,  do  quickly,  to.  Gen.  18bab’  7,  1922,  2418>  20,  2720, 
4330,  44n,  459>  13,  Ex.  218,  1016,  1233,  348,  Josh.  814-  18,  Judg.  1310. 
Hearken  or  listen  to  the  voice  of,  to.  Gen.  317,  162,  Ex.  318,  48’  9. 

In  the  direction  of.  Gen.  I019a-b'  30,  1310,  2518. 

Invoke  for  themselves  a blessing  like  that  of  Israel,  to.  Gen.  123,  1818, 
2218,  264,  2814. 

Know,  to,  or  to  enter  into  marriage  relation  with.  Gen.  41-  17,  25,  195,  8, 
2416,  3826. 

Little  ones.  Gen.  438,  508,  Ex.  lO10-  24,  1237,  Num.  1431. 

Look,  to.  Gen.  1816,  1928,  268,  Ex.  1424,  Num.  2 120,  2328. 

Looked  and  beheld  or  saw  and  beheld  or  beheld  and  lo.  Gen.  813b,  182, 
1928,  2463,  268,  292,  331,  3725b,  Ex.  32,  Josh.  513,  820. 

Lord,  my.  Gen.  3135,  325,  4320,  449,  Josh.  514. 

Make  supplication  for,  to.  Gen.  2521a,b,  Ex.  88>  28'30,  928,  1017. 
Maid-servant.  Gen.  1216,  161’  5i  8,  2435,  309’  42’  43,  325’  22,  331,  6,  Ex.  ll5. 
Messenger  of  Jehovah.  Gen.  167>  9-  n,  2211'15,  Ex.  32,  Num.  2222'27’31-  34. 
Nativity  or  kindred.  Gen.  ll28,  121,  244’  7,  313,  329,  Num.  103°. 

Now  or  this  once,  this  time.  Gen.  223,  1832,  2934,  3020,  4630,  Ex.  927,  1017. 
Perhaps  or  it  may  be.  Gen.  162, 1824’ 28_32, 245, 39, 3220, 4312,  Num.  226, 14, 33. 
Prosper,  to.  Gen.  2421’  40,  42,  56,  392’  23. 

Provender*  Gen.  2425  , 32,  4227,  4324,  Judg.  1919. 

Remained , not  one,  or  was  not  left.  Gen.  4718,  Ex.  831,  1019-  26,  1428b, 
Josh.  817. 

Run,  to.  Gen.  182-  7,  2417>  20-  28,  2912,  334,  4114,  Josh.  722,  819. 

Sake  of,  for  the,  or  because.  Gen.  317,  821,  1213,  16,  1826>  29<  31,  2624,  Ex. 

916a,  138. 

Servant,  your  (as  a periphrasis  for  I).  Gen.  183-  5,  4432’  33,  Josh.  106a. 
Sheol  or  the  grave,  pit.  Gen.  3735,  4238,  4429’  31 , Num.  1630  ’ 33. 

Sinai,  Mount.  Ex.  19llb-  18-  20-  23c,  342-  4. 

Spread  abroad  or  break  forth,  make  a breach  to.  Gen.  2814,  303°>  43,  3829, 
Ex.  I12,  1922’  24 

Spring  or  fountain.  Gen.  167a>  b,  2413,  46,  29,  30,  42,  45,  Ex.  1527. 
Stubborn,  to  be.  Ex.  815-  32,  97’  34,  101. 

Task-masters.  Ex.  37,  56’  10,  13. 

Therefore  they  called  or  it  was  called.  Gen.  ll9,  1922,  2934,  306,  3148, 
3317,  5011,  Ex.  1523,  Josh.  726. 

Three  days'  journey.  Gen.  3036,  Ex.  318,  53,  827,  Num.  1033a. 

What  is  this?  Gen.  313,  1218,  2610,  2720,  Ex.  42,  145-  41. 

358 


EPHRAIMITE  PROPHETIC  NARRATIVES 


Where?  Gen.  39,  49,  168,  189,  19s,  3821,  Ex.  220. 

Younger  (of  two  sons  or  daughters).  Gen.  1931’  34>  38,  2523,  2926,  Josh. 
626,  Judg.  615. 

Ephraimite  Prophetic  Narratives 

After  these  things.  Gen.  151,  221,  397,  401,  481,  Josh.  2429. 

Allow  or  give  leave,  to.  Gen.  206,  317,  Num.  2021,  2123,  2213. 

Amorite  (as  a designation  for  the  original  occupants  of  Palestine).  Gen. 

1516,  4822,  Num.  1329,  2113a’  21  ■ 31,  Josh.  105a’  248’  15'  1S. 

Bereave,  to.  Gen.  2745b,  3138,  4236,  4314a-  b,  Ex.  2326. 

Dream.  Gen.  203-  6,  2812,  3110-  24,  37,  40,  41,  429,  Num.  126,  Judg.  713. 
Fear  or  be  afraid.  Gen.  2011,  2212,  4218,  Ex.  I17,  21,  Josh.  2414. 

God  (Elohim).  Gen.  31s’  29  , 42,  Ex.  36,  Num.  1213. 

Here  am  I.*  Gen.  221’  7>  11,  3111,  462,  Num.  1440. 

Maid.  Gen.  2017,  2110a-  12,  303,  3133,  Ex.  25,  2010-  17. 

Master.  Gen.  3719,  Ex.  213,  22>  28,  29a- b>  34a,  b,  36,  22s-  14,  2414,  Num, 

2128,  Josh.  2411. 

Messenger  of  God.  Gen.  2117,  2812,  3111,  321,  Ex.  1419a. 

Minister,  to.  Gen.  394,  404,  Ex.  2413,  3311,  Num.  II28,  Josh.  I1. 

River,  the  (of  the  Euphrates).  Gen.  3121,  Ex.  2331,  Num.  225b,  Josh.  242, 14. 
Speak  to  or  with,  to.  Gen.  3124,  29,  Ex.  199,  2019a,b’  22,  339,  Num.  II17, 
2219,  Josh.  2427. 

Steal,  to.  Gen.  3033,  3119,  26,  30,  32,  39a,  4015a,  Ex.  2015,  2116,  221-4,  7a,b» 
8,  12. 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Aaron  the  Priest.  Ex.  3110,  3519,  3821,  3941,  Josh.  214’  13. 

Assemble  or  be  assembled,  to.  Num.  I18,  1619,  208a>  10,  Josh.  181,  2213. 

Be  a god,  to  (be  their  God).  Gen.  177>  8,  Ex.  67,  2945,  Num.  1541. 

Beast  of  the  earth.  Gen.  I24-  25-  30,  92-  10. 

Circumcise,  to.  Gen.  1710>  12‘14>  23-27,  214,  3415’  17>  22<  24,  Ex.  1244*  48. 
Cities  with  their  villages.  Josh.  1323’  28,  1532'62,  169,  1824’  28. 
Congregation,  the  (of  Israel).*  Ex.  123,  Josh.  2230. 

Create,  to  (the  heavens  and  the  earth).  Gen.  I1’  21>  27,  23,  4a,  51,  67. 
Creep,  to  (move,  teem).  Gen.  I26’  28’  30,  78,  817’  19,  92. 

Cut  off  from  his  people,  that  sold  shall  be.  Gen.  1714,  Ex.  1215-  19,  Num,. 
1530,  1913’  20. 

Die,  to,  or  to  breathe  the  last.  Gen.  617,  721,  258-  17,  3529,  4933,  Josh.  2220. 
Divide,  to,  or  to  separate.  Gen.  14>  6>  7>  14>  18,  Num.  169’  21 . 

Dwelling,  the.  Ex.  259,  Num.  329,  35,  38,  Josh.  2219  , 29. 

Eleazar  the  priest.  Ex.  623’  25,  Num.  332,  1637,  2025  ’ 28. 

El  Shaddai  or  God  Almighty.*  Gen.  171,  283,  3511,  483,  Ex.  63. 

Ephron  the  Hittite*  Gen.  238'16,  259,  4929,  5013. 

Establish  a covenant,  to.  Gen.  618,  99’  41*  17,  177,  19,  21,  Ex.  64. 

Family.  Gen.  819,  Num.  265>  6>  12’  13. 

Families,  according  to  your.  Gen.  819,  105’  20;  31 , 3640,  Ex.  617’  25. 
Father’s  house.  Ex.  614,  Num.  1-4,  Josh.  2214. 

Fruitful  and  multiply,  to  be*  Gen.  122>  28,  817,  91,  7,  1720,  3511,  Ex.  I7. 

359 


PECULIARITIES  OF  THE  DIFFERENT  SOURCES 

Generations.  Gen.  6&,  Num.  1514-  21 , Josh.  2227,  Judg.  32. 

Generations,  these  are  the*  Gen.  24a,  69,  101,  ll10-  27 , 2512-  19,  361-  9 
Glory  of  Yahweh.  Ex.  167>  10,  2416,  2943,  Num.  1410,  1619-  42,  206. 

Heads  of  fathers .*  Ex.  625,  Num.  173,  3126,  Josh.  141,  1951,  211. 

Hosts  (of  Israel).  Ex.  626,  74,  1217-  41 . 51,  Num.  I3-  52,  23-  9*  16-  18-  24.  32 
Jehovah,  know  that  I am.  Ex.  67,  75,  144>  18,  1612. 

Jehovah  commanded  Moses,  as*  Ex.  4025>  27>  29>  32,  Num.  I19  233 
264,  2711. 

Journeyed  and  encamped.  Ex.  1320,  171,  192,  Num.  2110*  lla,  221,  335'48. 
Korah.*  Num.  161,  5>  8>  16>  19’  24-  27a>  32b;  269'11,  273. 

Land,  of  Canaan.  Gen.  ll31,  125a-b,  1312,  163,  Num.  132-  17  2619  Josh. 
512,  I41. 

Machpelah*  Gen.  239>  17-  19,  259,  4930,  5013. 

Male  and  female*  Gen.  I27,  52,  619,  716. 

Memorial.  Ex.  1214,  139,  Num.  1G40,  3154,  Josh.  47. 

Month  and  day.  Gen.  7U,  84- 13,  Ex.  122-  3-  6,  161,  191,  Josh.  419,  510. 
Number,  to.  Num.  13>  19>  44>  49,  315-  39-  42. 

Old  ( was  so  many  years).  Gen.  532,  76,  ll10,  124b,  1616,  Ex.  77,  Num.  1429, 
262’  4. 

Padan-aram*  Gen.  282>  5~7,  3118,  3318b,  359,  4615. 

Perfect  or  without  blemish.  Gen.  69,  171,  Ex.  125,  Num.  2936. 

Prince  (or  ruler)*  Gen.  236,  2516,  342,  Num.  I16-  44. 

Sign,  be  for  a.  Gen.  I14,  913,  1711,  Ex.  1213,  Num.  1638. 

Spy  oid  the  land,  to.  Num.  132-  16-  21b  25-  32,  146-  34-  36-  3S,  1539. 

Swarm,  to.  Gen.  I20,  721,  817,  97. 

Thousands  of  Israel.  Num.  I16,  315,  Josh.  2214>  21  • 30. 

Tribe.  Ex.  312>  6,  Josh.  2214. 

The  years  of  the  life  of.  Gen.  231,  257>  17,  478’  28,  Ex.  618*  20. 

Un circumcised.  Gen.  1714,  Ex.  612  - 30,  1248,  Lev.  1923. 

Unclean,  to  be.  Gen.  3413,  27 , Lev.  53,  Num.  3534. 

Wilderness  of  Sinai  or  Mount  Sinai.  Ex.  161,  191,  2416,  Num.  I1,  19. 
Wilderness  of  Zin*  Num.  1321,  201,  2714,  3336,  343,  Josh.  151,  3. 

Work,  to  do.  Gen.  22,  3,  Ex.  1216,  3529  , 35,  361'8,  Num.  43,  297. 

You  and  your  descendants  after  you.  Gen.  99,  177'10>  19,  3512,  484,  Ex. 
2843,  Num.  2513. 


Ill 

BABYLONIAN  ACCOUNTS  OF  CREATION 

Since  the  brilliant  Assyriologist  George  Smith  in  1875  aroused  the  in- 
terest of  the  civilized  world  by  the  announcement  of  his  discovery,  among 
the  tablets  from  the  library  of  Ashurbanipal  in  the  British  Museum,  of 
certain  fragments  of  the  Babylonian  poem  of  creation,  the  efforts  of 
excavators  and  scholars  have  been  devoted  to  recovering  the  complete 
version.  In  the  voluminous  literature  which  has  grown  up  about  the 
subject,  Smith’s  The  Chaldean  Account  of  Genesis,  1876,  occupies  the 

360 


IMPORTANT  TRANSLATIONS 


position  of  priority.  Additional  knowledge  and  new  discoveries  have 
almost  completely  superseded  the  results  presented  in  earlier  works. 
The  more  important  modern  English  translations  are  by  Jastrow  (RBA; 
cf.  also  forthcoming  revised  German  edition),  by  Muss-Arnolt  in  Assyr- 
ian and  Babylonian  Literature,  1901,  and  by  King  (STC,  vol.  I).  The 
latter  contains  much  fresh  material,  including  twenty-eight  new  fragments 
in  addition  to  the  twenty-one  hitherto  published.  Among  these  are  the 
opening  and  closing  lines  of  the  important  sixth  tablet,  which  describe  the 
creation  of  man  by  Marduk.  The  translation  is  also  provided  with  a valua- 
ble introduction  and  foot-notes.  Vol.  II  contains  a reproduction  of  the 
texts,  and  vol.  I a translation  of  the  same  with  careful  reconstructions  so 
that  the  Semitic  student  is  placed  in  command  of  all  the  available  data. 
Also  significant  are  the  chapters  by  Driver  in  Authority  a7id  Archaeology 
and  the  article  “Creation”  by  Zimmern  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Biblica. 

The  important  German  translations  and  treatises  on  the  subject  are: 
Das  Babylonische  W elts chop] ungs epos,  published  by  Delitzsch  in  1896, 
Assyrisch-Babylonische  Mythen  und  Epen,  1900,  by  Jensen  in  Schrader’s 
KB,  Gunkel’s  Schopfung  und  Chaos  in  Urzcit  und  Endzeit,  1895,  Loisy’s 
Les  Mythes  babyloniens  et  les  premiers  chapitres  de  la  Gcnese,  1901, 
and  Zimmern’s  Biblische  und  babylonische  Urgeschichte,  1901.  A com- 
parative treatment  of  the  subject  is  found  in  Lukas,  Die  Grundbegrifje 
in  den  Kosmologien  der  alien  Vblker. 

Mr.  King’s  discoveries  have  demonstrated  rather  conclusively  that 
the  Babylonian  poem  of  creation,  which  comes  from  the  great  library  of 
Ashurbanipal,  was  written  on  seven  numbered  tablets,  each  containing 
between  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  and  one  hundred  and  fifty-six 
lines.  In  their  present  form  they  date  from  the  seventh  century  b.c., 
but  they  are  evidently  copies  of  much  earlier  Babylonian  originals,  for 
Marduk,  the  god  of  Babylon,  not  Ashur,  is  the  hero  in  honor  of  whom 
the  poem  was  written.  References  to  the  dragon-myth  and  bas-reliefs 
and  cylinder-seals  representing  scenes  from  it,  indicate  that  it  doubtless 
was  known  as  early  as  2000  b.c.  The  existence  of  many  variant  versions, 
as,  for  example,  that  preserved  by  the  Babylonian  priest  Berosus,  which 
made  Bel,  not  Marduk,  the  conquering,  creating  god,  also  indicates 
that  the  original  story  came  from  a very  early  period. 

Its  literary  history  is  strikingly  similar  to  that  of  many  of  the  traditions 
in  the  opening  books  of  the  Old  Testament.  “It  is  of  a distinctly  com- 
posite character,  and  bears  traces  of  a long  process  of  editing  and  modi- 
fication at  the  hands  of  the  Babylonian  priests.  Five  principal  strands 
may  be  traced  which  have  been  combined  to  form  the  poem;  these  may 
be  described  as  (1)  The  Birth  of  the  gods;  (2)  The  Legend  of  Ea  and 
Apsu;  (3)  The  Dragon-myth;  (4)  The  actual  account  of  Creation;  and 
(5)  The  Hymns  to  Marduk  under  his  fifty  titles”  (King  STC  I,  LXVII). 
Coming  as  it  does  from  that  earlier  Semitic  people  who  most  powerfully 
influenced  the  Hebrews,  the  analogy  is  most  significant. 

Independent  of  the  larger  composite  poem  of  the  creation  and  con- 
taining no  references  to  the  dragon-myth  is  a fragment,  written  both  in 

361 


Condi- 
tions be- 
fore cre- 
ation 
(lines  1- 
10) 


Creation 
of  the 
land  and 
cities 
(11-14) 


Spirits 
of  earth 
(15,  16) 

Man- 
kind (17- 
21) 


Animals 
and  the 
great 
rivers 
(22-24) 
Vegeta- 
tion and 
wild  ani- 
mals (25- 
30) 


The  be- 
ginning 
of  city 
civiliza- 
tion (31- 
40) 


BABYLONIAN  ACCOUNTS  OF  CREATION 

Sumerian  and  Babylonian,  which  appears  to  represent  an  older  and 
simpler  version  of  the  creation  of  the  world  by  Marduk.  It  is  published 
in  Cuneiform  Texts,  part  XIII,  pis.  35  ff.,  and  has  been  translated  by 
Pinches  JRAS  XXIII  (new  series),  pp.  393  ff. ; by  Jensen  in  Schrader’s 
KB  VI,  pp.  38  ft'.;  King  STC  I,  pp.  130  ff.  The  striking  Semitic  poetic 
parallelism  is  even  more  apparent  in  the  original  than  in  the  translation, 

THE  SUMERO-BABYLONIAN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CREATION  OF 
THE  WORLD  BY  MARDUK 

The  holy  house,  the  house  of  the  gods,  in  a holy  place  had  not  yet  been  made ; 

No  reed  had  sprung  up,  no  tree  had  been  created  ; 

No  brick  had  been  laid,  no  building  had  been  erected  ; 

No  house  had  been  constructed,  no  city  had  been  built ; 

No  city  had  been  made,  no  creature  had  been  brought  into  being  ; 

Nippur  had  not  been  made,  Ekur  had  not  been  built; 

Erech  had  not  been  made,  Eana  had  not  been  built ; 

The  Deep  (Apsu)  had  not  been  made,  Eridu  had  not  been  built ; 

Of  the  holy  house,  the  house  of  the  gods,  the  habitation  had  not  been  made ; 

All  lands  were  sea. 

Then  there  was  a movement  in  the  midst  of  the  sea ; 

At  that  time  Eridu  was  made,  and  Esagil  was  built, 

Esagil,  where  in  the  midst  of  the  deep  the  god  Lugal-du-azaga  dwells. 

The  city  Babylon  was  built,  and  Esagil  was  finished. 

The  gods,  the  spirits  of  the  earth  (Annunaki),  Marduk  made  at  the  same  time. 

The  holy  city,  the  dwelling  of  their  hearts’  desire,  they  proclaimed  supreme. 

Marduk  laid  a reed  on  the  face  of  the  waters. 

He  formed  dust  and  poured  it  out  beside  the  reed  ; 

That  he  might  cause  the  gods  to  dwell  in  the  dwelling  of  their  hearts’  desire, 

He  formed  mankind. 

With  him  the  goddess  Aruru  created  the  seed  of  mankind. 

The  beasts  of  the  field  and  living  things  in  the  field  he  formed. 

The  Tigris  and  Euphrates  he  created  and  established  them  in  their  place ; 

Their  names  he  proclaimed  in  goodly  manner. 

The  grass,  the  rush  of  the  marsh,  the  reed  and  the  forest  he  created, 

The  green  herb  of  the  field  he  created. 

The  lands,  the  marshes  and  the  swamps  ; 

The  wild  cow  and  her  young,  the  wild  calf,  the  ewe  and  her  young,  the  lamb  of 
the  fold. 

Orchards  and  forests; 

The  he-goat  and  the  mountain  goat  . . . 

The  remaining  ten  lines  are  fragmentary.  The  following  can  be  restored 
with  considerable  confidence  on  the  basis  of  the  close  parallels  in  the 
first  part  of  the  poem; 

The  Lord  Marduk  built  a dam  beside  the  sea. 


Reeds  he  formed,  trees  he  created ; 

Bricks  he  laid,  buildings  he  erected ; 

Houses  he  made,  cities  he  built ; 

Cities  he  made,  creatures  he  brought  into  being. 
Nippur  he  made,  Ekur  he  built; 

Erech  he  made,  Eana  he  built. 

362 


THE  CREATION  EPIC 


Since  it  is  composed  of  several  originally  distinct  myths,  the  later  and 
longer  poem  of  the  creation  (designated  among  the  Assyrians  by  its  opening 
words,  Enuma  elish,  “When  in  the  Height”)  has  many  more  characters 
and  a much  more  complex  plot.  Its  central  episode  is  Marduk’s  successful 
conflict  with  Tiamat,  the  personification  of  chaos,  the  mingled  air,  earth  and 
water  out  of  which  the  material  world  was  destined  to  be  created.  It  is 
significant  that  Tiamat  is  from  the  same  root  as  the  Hebrew  word  tehom  in 
Genesis  l2  which  is  translated  deep.  The  plot  turns  on  the  victory  of 
the  gods  of  order,  championed  by  Marduk,  over  Tiamat  and  her  followers, 
who  represent  disorder.  The  present  composite  poem  opens,  however, 
with  the  creation  of  the  different  groups  of  gods  and  especially  of  Ea 
(Nudimmud),  the  god  of  hidden  knowledge,  who  figures  as  the  representa- 
tive of  the  gods.  Furthermore,  not  Tiamat  but  Apsu,the  personification 
of  the  Great  Deep,  and  Mummu,  his  minister,  first  figure  as  the  chief 
conspirators  against  the  gods  of  order. 

In  the  following  translation  lacunae  which  can  be  filled  in  with  assur- 
ance on  the  basis  of  parallel  passages  or  duplicate  versions  have  been 
ignored.  Less  certain  reconstructions  are  placed  in  brackets.  Also  in 
certain  cases  attention  has  not  been  called  to  minor  lacunae  which  do  not 
materially  affect  the  sense.  The  aim  in  the  translation  has  been  to  pre- 
sent the  contents  of  the  poem  as  a whole  and  those  passages  in  full  which 
are  parallel  to  the  Old  Testament  stories.  The  verse-numbering  adopted 
by  King  in  his  text  (STC)  has  been  followed.  Especially  to  him  and  to 
Jensen,  Delitzsch,  Zimmern  and  Jastrow  I have  been  constantly  in- 
debted for  valuable  suggestions. 

THE  BABYLONIAN  CREATION  EPIC 
Tablet  I 

When  in  the  height,  heaven  was  not  yet  named. 

And  the  earth  beneath  bore  no  name  ; 

While  still  the  primeval  Apsu  (Great  Deep)  who  begat  them. 

And  raging  Tiamat  (Chaos),  who  brought  forth  both. 

Mingled  their  waters  together; 

When  no  field  was  yet  formed,  no  marsh  was  seen ; 

When  none  of  the  gods  had  yet  been  called  into  being, 

No  name  mentioned,  no  fate  determined. 

Then  were  the  gods  created. 

Lahmu  and  Lahamu  were  called  into  being. 

Many  ages  elapsed  . . . 

Then  Anshar  and  Kishar  were  created  . . . 

Long  were  the  days,  then  came  forth 
Anu,  their  son,  [Bel  and  Ea]. 


Then  Apsu,  the  begetter  of  the  great  gods. 

Called  to  Mummu  (Confusion),  his  minister,  saying  : 

“O  Mummu,  thou  minister  who  delightest  my  soul, 

Come,  to  Tiamat  let  us  [go].” 

So  they  went  and  in  the  presence  of  Tiamat  they  lay  down. 
They  consulted  on  a plan  regarding  the  gods  their  sons. 
Apsu  opened  his  mouth, 

And  to  Tiamat,  the  shining  one,  he  spoke : 

363 


The 
birth  of 
the  gods 
(lines  1- 
14) 


Hostile 
counsels 
of  the 
prime- 
val pods 
against 
the  new 
gods  of 
order 
(29-52) 


Ea’s  re- 
port to 
Anshar 
(II,  8- 
10) 

Tiamat 
and  her 
allies 
(11-18) 


The 
mon- 
sters 
created 
by  Tia- 
mat to 
fight  her 
battles 
(19-32) 


BABYLONIAN  ACCOUNTS  OF  CREATION 

“ By  day  I cannot  rest,  by  night  I cannot  lie  down  in  peace. 

Their  order11  will  I destroy  and  cast  down. 

Let  there  be  lamentation,  and  let  us  again  lie  down  in  peace.” 

When  Tiamat  heard  these  words. 

She  fell  into  a rage  and  cried  aloud. 

She  plotted  evil  in  her  heart. 

“ What  then  shall  we  do?  Let  us  destroy  ; 

Let  their  order  be  made  impossible.” 

Mummu  replied  and  counselled  Apsu, 

And  hostile  [to  the  gods]  was  the  counsel  of  Mummu  : 

“ Come,  their  order  is  firmly  established,  but  thou  shalt  destroy  it. 

Then  by  day  shalt  thou  rest,  by  night  shalt  thou  lie  down  in  peace.” 

Apsu  [listened  to]  him  and  his  face  grew  bright, 

For  he  planned  evil  against  the  gods  his  sons. 

Then  Ea,  who  knows  everything,  went  up  and  perceived  their  muttering.b 

Then  follows  an  exceedingly  fragmentary  passage  of  about  forty  lines, 
which  evidently  recorded  the  counsels  of  the  new  gods  of  order,  led  by  Ea. 
Under  his  leadership,  probably  by  the  use  of  his  “pure  incantation” 
(mentioned  in  line  62),  “Apsu  was  laid  waste  and  Mummu  taken  captive” 
(lines  97,  98).  At  least  they  disappear  from  the  story,  and  in  Tablet  II,  line 
55,  there  is  a direct  reference  to  the  fact  that  they  had  been  overthrown. 

In  lines  92-104  Kingu,  another  of  the  chaotic  deities,  appears  to  be  urg- 
ing Tiamat  to  “take  vengeance  for  them”  (line  103).  In  response  she 
called  forth  her  brood  of  horrible  monsters  and  placed  Kingu  at  their 
head.  A long  and  vivid  description  of  this  act  concludes  the  first  tablet. 
It  is  repeated  practically  verbatim  in  Tablet  II  and  twice  in  Tablet  III, 
where  the  text  is  better  preserved. 

The  prominence  thus  given  to  the  hosts  of  disorder  was  doubtless 
intended  to  emphasize  the  greatness  of  the  work  of  Marduk  in  ultimately 
overthrowing  them. 

Tablet  II  opens  with  Ea’s  description  of  them  in  his  report  to  Anshar. 
It  is  one  of  the  classical  passages  of  the  poem: 

To  the  abode  of  Anshar  his  father  he  took  his  way  ; 

He  went,  and  standing  before  Anshar  the  father  who  begat  him, 

Everything  that  Tiamat  had  plotted  he  repeated  to  him. 

Saying,  “ Tiamat  who  brought  us  forth  hath  conceived  a hatred  for  us, 

With  all  her  force  she  rageth  angrily. 

All  the  gods  have  turned  to  her ; 

With  those  whom  thou  hast  created,  they  go  at  her  side. 

They  keep  guard  and  beside  Tiamat  they  advance. 

They  are  enraged,  they  plot  restlessly  day  and  night. 

They  prepare  for  battle,  fuming  and  raging ; 

They  have  joined  together  and  are  making  war. 

Ummu-Hubur0  (Tiamat),  who  formed  everything, 

Hath  made  also  weapons  irresistible,  she  hath  spawned  monstrous  serpents, 
Sharp  of  tooth,  merciless  of  fang. 

With  venom  instead  of  blood  she  hath  filled  their  bodies. 


* Lit.,  way.  It  evidently  refers  to  the  orderly  rule  which  the  gods  had  instituted  and 
which  was  antagonistic  to  chaos,  disorder. 

b Following  a conjectural  translation  of  King  STC  I,  12. 
c Lit.,  Mother  of  the  hollow.  A poetic  epithet  describing  Tiamat. 

364 


THE  CREATION  EPIC 


Fierce  dragons  she  hath  clothed  with  terror, 

With  splendor  hath  she  clad  them,  she  hath  made  them  of  lofty  stature. 

Whoever  beholds  them  is  overcome  with  terror. 

Their  bodies  rise  on  high  and  none  can  endure  their  attack. 

She  hath  set  up  vipers,  and  huge  serpents  and  the  monster  Lahamu, 

Chimaeras,4  raging  hounds  and  scorpion-men. 

Storm-demons,  fish-men  and  rams. 

They  bear  merciless  weapons,  fearless  of  battle. 

Omnipotent  are  her  commands,  not  to  be  resisted ; 

After  this  fashion,  eleven  huge  monsters  hath  she  made. 

Among  the  gods,  her  first-born,  since  he  hath  given  her  strong  support, 

She  hath  exalted  Kingu  ; among  them  she  hath  made  him  potent, 

To  march  before  the  army,  to  command  the  host. 

To  call  to  arms,  to  advance  to  the  attack. 

To  direct  the  battle,  to  maintain  control, 

Hath  she  intrusted  him.  In  a (princely)  garment  hath  she  made  him  sit ; 

(Saying) , ‘ I have  uttered  thy  spell,  in  the  assembly  of  the  gods,  I have  made 
thee  potent ; 

Dominion  over  all  the  gods  have  I placed  in  thy  hand. 

Be  thou  exalted,  thou,  my  chosen  consort. 

May  they  magnify  thy  name  over  all  of  them.’ 

She  hath  also  given  him  the  tablets  of  destiny,  on  his  breast  hath  she  placed  them, 
(Saying),  ‘ Thy  command  shall  not  be  changed,  the  word  of  thy  mouth  shall  be 
established.’ 

When  Kingu  was  exalted,  having  received  the  power  of  Anu, 

For  the  gods,  her  children,  he  decreed  the  fate, 

(Saying),  ‘ Whenever  you  open  your  mouth,  may  it  still  the  Fire-god  ; 

Let  him  who  is  mighty  in  battle,  display  his  might.’  ” 

The  following  context  is  only  fragmentary.  It  appears  that  Anshar  is 
greatly  alarmed  by  Ea’s  report  and  finally  decides  to  send  Anu  on  a mis- 
sion to  appease  Tiamat.  Her  mutterings,  however,  so  terrify  him  that 
he  returns  unsuccessful.  Anshar  then  appeals  to  his  son  Marduk  (the 
god  of  Babylon  who  appears  to  be  introduced  at  this  point  for  the  first 
time)  to  take  up  the  conflict  with  Tiamat.  His  reply  forms  the  conclusion 
of  Tablet  II. 

Then  the  lord  rejoiced  at  the  word  of  his  father. 

And  he  drew  near  and  stood  before  Anshar. 

Anshar  looked  upon  him  and  his  heart  was  filled  with  joy, 

He  kissed  his  lips,  fear  departed  from  him. 

“ [O  Anshar],  let  not  the  word  of  thy  lips  fail  of  fulfilment,® 

Let  me  go  that  I may  accomplish  all  that  is  in  thy  heart. 

What  man’s  assault  has  brought  thee  forth  ? f 
Tiamat,  who  is  (only)  a woman,  is  attacking  thee. 

[Nay],  rejoice  and  be  glad  ; 

Tiamat’s  neck  shalt  thou  quickly  trample  under  foot.” 

“ O my  son,  who  knowest  all  wisdom. 

Pacify  Tiamat  with  thy  pure  incantation. 


d The  meaning  of  this  word,  and  the  kindred  term  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  line,  is  very 
doubtful.  It  ordinarily  means,  day  or  storm.  The  context  demands  some  monstrous 
serpent  or  animal. 

' Lit.,  be  covered  up,  overcome. 

1 Lit.,  of  what  man  has  the  battle  brought  thee  fortht 

365 


Appoint- 
ment of 
Kingu as 
leader  of 
the  host 
(33-44) 


Kingu’s 

call  to 
the  con- 
flict (45- 
43) 


The  joy 
of  Mar- 
duk and 
Anshar 
(113-116) 


Mar- 
duk1 s re* 
sponse 
(119-124* 


Anshar’S 

reply 

(127-130) 


BABYLONIAN  ACCOUNTS  OF  CREATION 


Quickly  set  out  upon  thy  way. 

For  [thy  blood)8  shall  not  be  poured  out,  but  thou  shalt  return.” 

Then  the  lord  rejoiced  at  the  word  of  his  father, 

His  heart  exulted  and  to  his  father  he  said  : 

“ Lord  of  the  gods,  Destiny  of  the  great  gods. 

If  I as  your  avenger, 

Overcome  Tiamat  and  preserve  your  lives. 

Appoint  an  assembly,  make  my  fate  preeminent. 

In  the  council-chamber  of  the  godsh  joyfully  take  your  seats ; 

If  I open  my  mouth,  may  I in  place  of  you  determine  fate, 

May  whatever  I do  remain  unchanged, 

May  no  word  of  my  lips  be  altered  or  made  void.” 

The  first  one  hundred  and  twenty -two  lines  of  Tablet  III  describe 
Anshar’s  command  to  his  minister  Gaga  to  summon  the  gods,  in  which 
he  describes  in  the  same  words  as  in  I and  II  Tiamat’s  preparations  and 
Marduk’s  commission.  This  description  Gaga  also  repeats  at  length 
and  concludes  with  the  summons  to  the  assembly: 


Mar- 

duk’sde- 
mand 
chat  he 
he  made 
supreme 
over  the 
gods,  if 
success- 
ful in 
the  con- 
diet  (131- 
140) 


Gaga’s 
com- 
mand to 
the  gods 
(123,  124) 

Dismay 
of  the 
gods 
(125-128) 


The  ban- 
quet of 
tne  gods 
(129-137) 


Eleva- 
tion of 
Marduk 
to  the 
kingship 
(111,  138, 
IV,  1,  2) 


Address 
of  the 
gods  to 
Marduk 
(3-81) 


Tablet  III 

“ Make  haste,  therefore,  and  quickly  decree  for  him  your  fate. 

That  he  may  go  to  fight  your  powerful  foe.” 

Lahmu  and  Lahamu  heard  and  cried  loudly. 

All  the  spirits  of  heaven  lamented  bitterly, 

“What  has  been  altered,  that  they  should  [take  offence] ? 

We  do  not  understand  Tiamat’s  action.” 

Then  they  assembled  and  went, 

The  great  gods,  all  of  them  who  decree  fate ; 

They  entered  in  before  Anshar,  they  filled  [the  hall] ; 

They  kissed  one  another  in  the  assembly  ; 

They  conversed*  with  each  other,  at  the  feast  they  sat ; 

They  ate  bread,  they  mixed  sesame- wine ; 

The  sweet  mead  numbed  their  [senses]  ; 

They  were  drunk  with  drinking,  their  bodies  were  filled  ; 

They  were  completely  at  ease,  their  spirits  were  exalted. 

Then  for  Marduk,  their  avenger,  they  decreed  the  fate, 

They  prepared  for  him  a chamber  of  state. 

Before  his  fathers  as  king  he  took  his  seat. 

“ Thou  art  most  honored  among  the  great  gods. 

Thy  fate  is  unequalled,  thy  command  is  supreme 
O Marduk,  thou  art  the  most  honored  among  the  great  gods. 

Thy  fate  is  unequalled,  thy  command  is  supreme  ! 

Henceforth  thy  decree  shall  never  be  made  void. 

To  lift  up  and  to  bring  low  shall  be  in  thy  power. 

Established  shall  be  the  word  of  thy  mouth,  irresistible  shall  be  thy  command  j 
None  among  the  gods  shall  transgress  thy  bounds. 

Plenty,  the  desire  of  the  shrines  of  the  gods. 

Shall  be  established  in  thy  sanctuary  though  there  be  lack  in  theirs. 


e Following  a reconstruction  of  King  STC  I,  37. 

1 Lit.,  Made  tongues.  The  exact  meaning  of  this  idiom  is  not  established.  King  STC  I,  57, 
made  ready  lor  the  feast. 

1 Lit.,  Thy  command  is  Anu,  i.  e.,  takes  the  place  of  Anu,  the  king  of  the  gods. 

366 


THE  CREATION  EPIC 


O Marduk,  thou  art  our  avenger  ! 

We  give  thee  sovereignty  over  all  the  universe. 

Take  thy  seat  in  the  assembly,  be  exalted  in  thy  command. 

Thy  weapons  shall  never  be  vanquished,  they  shall  crush  the  foe. 

O lord,  spare  the  life  of  him  who  trusts  in  thee, 

But  as  for  a god  who  attempts  evil,  pour  out  his  life.” 

Then  they  set  in  their  midst  a garment, 

And  to  Marduk  their  first-born  they  spoke  : 

“ May  thy  fate,  O lord,  be  preeminent  among  the  gods, 

Command  to  destroy  and  to  create,  so  let  it  be  done. 

Open  now  thy  mouth  and  let  the  garment  vanish. 

Command  it  again  and  let  the  garment  be  whole.” 

Then  he  gave  command  and  the  garment  vanished ; 

Again  he  commanded  it  and  the  garment  was  whole. 

When  the  gods,  his  fathers,  beheld  (the  effect)  of  his  word. 

They  rejoiced  and  did  homage,  (saying),  “ Marduk  is  king  ! ” 

They  gave  him  the  sceptre,  the  throne  and  the  crown. k 
They  gave  him  an  irresistible  weapon  with  which  to  overcome  the  foe. 
(Saying),  “ Go,  cut  off  Tiamat’s  life, 

Let  the  wind  carry  her  blood  into  secret  places.”1 

After  the  gods,  his  fathers,  had  decreed  for  the  lord  his  fate. 

For  a safe  and  prosperous  journey  they  caused  him  to  set  forth. 

He  made  ready  the  bow,  his  weapon  he  chose, 

He  slung  a spear  on  his  back  and  fastened  it. 

He  took  up  the  club,  with  his  right  hand  he  grasped  it, 

At  his  side  he  hung  the  bow  and  quiver, 

He  placed  the  lightning  before  him, 

With  flaming  fire  he  filled  his  body. 

He  made  a net  to  inclose  the  inward  parts  of  Tiamat, 

He  stationed  the  four  winds,  so  that  nothing  of  her  might  escape ; 

The  south  wind,  the  north  wind,  the  east  wind  and  the  west  wind. 

He  brought  near  to  the  net,  the  gift  of  his  father  Anu. 

He  created  a destructive  wind,  a storm,  a tempest, 

A fourfold  wind,  a sevenfold  wind,  a whirlwind  which  had  no  equal ; 

He  let  forth  the  seven  winds  which  he  had  created. 

To  disturb  the  inward  parts  of  Tiamat,  they  followed  after  him. 

The  lord  raised  the  thunderbolt, m his  mighty  weapon, 

His  chariot,  the  storm, n unequalled  in  terror,  he  mounted, 

He  harnessed  and  yoked  to  it  four  horses. 

Destructive,  merciless,  overwhelming  and  fleet ; 

[Sharp]  were  their  teeth,  they  were  flecked  with  foam  ; 

They  were  skilled  in  [attack],  they  had  been  trained  to  trample  underfoot. 

The  narrative  then  tells  of  Marduk’s  departure  and  meeting  with 
Tiamat  and  her  followers.  Kingu  was  terrified  by  Marduk’s  gaze,  but 
Tiamat  quailed  not.  After  charging  her  with  conspiring  against  the  gods, 
their  champion  utters  his  challenge  to  battle: 

“ Let  thy  host  make  ready,  let  thy  weapons  be  girded  on  ! 

Stand  ! I and  thou,  let  us  join  battle  ! ” 

When  Tiamat  heard  these  words. 

She  was  like  one  possessed,  she  lost  her  reason  ; 

k The  meaning  of  this  word  is  doubtful.  It  was  some  insignia  of  royal  power, 

* /.e„,  where  it  will  never  be  found  again. 
m Or,  storm. 

■ Variant  reading,  a construction. 


Mar- 
duk’s 
chal- 
lenge 
(85,  86] 


Signcon 
firming 
Mar- 
duk’s su- 
premacy 
(19-26)  ‘ 


His  cor 
onation 
and  com- 
mission 
(27-32) 


His 

prepara- 
tions for 
the  con- 
flictwith 
Tiamat 
(33-54) 


367 


BABYLONIAN  ACCOUNTS  OF  CREATION 


Theef-  Tiamat  uttered  wild,  piercing  shrieks, 

onC Tia-  Trembling,  quaking  to  her  very  foundations, 

matfanc  She  uttered  an  incantation,  she  pronounced  her  spell, 

lowers  And  the  gods  of  war  called  for  their  weapons. 

(87-92' 

The  Then  Tiamat  and  Marduk,  the  wise  counsellor  of  the  gods,  advanced, 

throw  To  the  contest  they  approached,  to  fight  they  drew  near, 

death  of  Then  the  lord  spread  out  his  net  in  order  to  enclose  her, 

Tiamat  The  destructive  wind  that  was  behind  him,  he  let  loose  before  him. 

(93-104)  When  Tiamat  opened  her  mouth  to  its  full  extent. 

He  drove  in  the  destructive  wind  so  that  she  could  not  close  her  lips. 
The  terrible  wind  filled  her  stomach. 

Her  sense0  was  taken  away,  so  that  she  opened  wide  her  mouth. 

He  seized  the  spear  and  smote  through  her  stomach. 

He  cut  through  her  inward  parts,  he  pierced  her  heart. 

He  overcame  her  and  put  an  end  to  her  life  ; 

He  threw  down  her  body,  and  stood  upon  it. 


Then  Marduk  routed  and  conquered  Tiamat’s  rebellious  followers, 
taking  from  Kingu  their  leader  the  tablets  of  destiny,  insignia  of  supreme 
power. 


Destruc- 
tion of 
Tia- 
mat’s 
body 
(128-132) 


Creation 
of  the 
firma- 
ment of 
heaven 
from  one 
of  the 
severed 
halves  of 
Tiamat 
(135-140) 
Creation 
of  the 
heaven 
above 
corre- 
spond- 
ing to 
the  great 
deep  be- 
neath 
the 
earth 
(141-146) 


Then  he  returned  to  Tiamat  whom  he  had  conquered, 
And  the  lord  stood  upon  Tiamat’s  lower  part, 

And  with  his  merciless  club  he  crushed  her  skull. 

He  cut  through  the  arteries  of  her  blood. 

And  made  the  north  wind  bear  it  away  into  secret  places. 


Gifts  of  As  his  fathers  beheld,  they  rejoiced  and  were  glad  ; 
(i33,Bi34)  Gifts  and  presents  they  brought  him. 


Then  the  lord  rested,  gazed  intently  upon  her  dead  body  ; 

While  he  divided  the  flesh  of  the  trunk,?  he  devised  a cunning  plan  : 

He  split  her  in  two  halves  as  one  does  a flat  fish ; 

One  half  he  established  as  a covering  for  heaven. 

He  fastened  [it]  with  a bolt,  he  stationed  watchmen. 

And  commanded  them  not  to  let  its  waters  come  out. 

He  passed  through  the  heavens,  he  inspected  the  regions  thereof  ;7 

Over  against  the  great  deep  ( Apsu),  he  established  the  dwelling  of  Ea  (Nudimmud) 

After  that  the  lord  measured  the  structure  of  the  great  deep. 

Corresponding  to  it  he  founded  the  mansion,  Eshara, 

The  mansion,  Eshara,  which  he  created  as  heaven. 

He  caused  Anu,  Bel,  and  Ea  to  inhabit  their  districts. 

Unfortunately  the  fifth  tablet  is  badly  broken.  It  opens  with  an  account 
of  the  fixing  of  the  constellations  of  the  Zodiac  and  the  establishment  of 
“times  and  seasons.”  From  later  parallels  and  allusions  in  subsequent 
passages  in  the  poem  it  appears  that  the  tablet  also  contained  the  account 
of  the  creation  of  the  earth — probably  from  the  other  severed  half  of 
Tiamat — and  of  vegetation.  In  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  tablet, 
Marduk  is  hailed  as  the  “Creator  of  grain  and  plants,  who  caused  the 
green  herb  to  spring  up.”  The  opening  lines  of  Tablet  V are: 


® Lit.,  heart.  It  may  have  the  meaning,  either  of  courage  or  sense. 
p Following  a conjectural  interpretation  of  Jensen. 

s Lit.,  places.  The  reference  is  probably  to  the  different  quarters  of  the  heavens. 

368 


THE  CREATION  EPIC 


He  (Marduk)  established  the  stations  for  the  great  gods ; Fixing 

The  stars,  their  images,  he  fixed  as  the  constellations  of  the  Zodiac  ; Stella-11' 

He  determined  the  year  and  marked  its  divisions  ; th^lo1 

For  the  twelve  months  he  fixed  three  stars.  diac(i- 

4) 


The  moon-god  he  caused  to  shine  forth  and  to  him  he  intrusted  the  night ; The^ 
He  appointed  him  as  the  luminary  of  the  night  to  determine  the  days.  . rule  the 

night 

(lSi.13) 

The  sixth  tablet  is  unfortunately  only  partially  preserved,  but  the  im- 
portant discoveries  of  King  have  given  us  the  first  ten  lines.  He  con- 
jectures that  the  “word  of  the  gods”  referred  to  in  the  opening  line  was 
their  complaint  that  there  were  no  shrines  built  in  their  honor  and  no  one 
to  worship  them  (STC  I,  LIV) . 


When  Marduk  heard  the  word  of  the  gods, 

His  heart  prompted  him  and  he  devised  a cunning  plan. 

He  opened  his  mouth,  to  Ea  he  spoke, 

That  which  he  had  devised  in  his  heart  he  imparted  to  him : 

“ My  blood  will  I take  and  boner  will  I [form], 

I will  make  man  that  man  may 

I will  create  men  who  shall  inherit  (the  earth). 

Let  the  service  of  the  gods  be  established,  let  their  shrines  [be  built]. 
But  I will  change  the  ways  of  the  gods,  I will  alter  . . . 

Together  shall  they  be  oppressed,8  and  to  evil  shall  they  be  [subject].” 


Creation 
of  man 
by  Mar- 
duk ( L- 

id 


From  the  few  fragments  of  the  tablet  that  remain  it  appears  that 
Marduk’s  determination  to  punish  the  gods  (probably  because  of  their 
complaint)  was  changed  through  Ea’s  intercession.  The  tablet  closes 
with  a description  of  an  assembly  of  the  gods  in  which  they  rejoice  and 
acclaim  Marduk  as  their  deliverer.  The  seventh  tablet  contains  the  hymn 
of  praise  in  which  under  fifty  titles  of  honor  Marduk  is  hailed  as  the 
conqueror  of  Tiamat  and  the  creator  of  the  world. 

Still  another  Babylonian  version  of  the  story  of  creation  is  preserved 
by  Eusebius  in  his  quotations  from  a summary  of  Berosus’s  account  which 
was  made  by  Alexander  Polyhistor.  It  is  evidently  based  on  the  common 
Babylonian  tradition  of  the  creation,  but  contains  certain  variant  and 
supplemental  elements.  It  pictures  the  same  primeval  darkness  and 
water  inhabited  by  monsters  and  ruled  over  by  Thamte.  Bel,  not  Marduk, 
is  here  represented  as  slaying  Thamte  (which  is  doubtless  the  later  form 
of  the  Tiamat  of  the  older  poem).  Her  body  he  cut  in  two  parts  and 
with  one  half  he  made  the  heavens  and  with  the  other  the  earth.  Man 
was  created  from  the  blood  of  Bel,  mixed  with  clay.  The  blood  of  the 
god  was  also  used  in  creating  animals.  Traces  of  the  same  tradition 
are  likewise  found  in  modified  form  in  the  late  Phoenician  literature. 
The  Egyptian  inscriptions  also  contain  allusions  to  it. 

Although  in  the  one  the  story  is  told  in  highly  poetical,  figurative 
language  and  in  the  other  in  dignified  prose,  the  parallels  between  the 
Babylonian  and  biblical  accounts  of  creation  are  as  obvious  as  are  the 


1 The  Assyrian  word  for  bone  ( issimtu ) is  clearly  from  the  same  root  as  the  Heb.  term  ( ’eaem) 
employed  in  Gen.  223. 

* Or,  be  honored  but  etc. 


369 


BABYLONIAN  ACCOUNTS  OF  CREATION 


wide  differences  in  aim  and  purpose.  If  the  complete  early  Judean 
prophetic  version  had  been  preserved,  still  more  points  of  resemblance 
might  appear,  for  its  conception  of  the  creation  of  man  from  the  dust 
of  the  earth  by  the  hand  of  God  is  strikingly  similar  to  that  of  the  Babylon- 
ian traditions.  Analogies  between  them  and  the  fuller  priestly  account 
in  Genesis  are  discernible,  however,  at  almost  every  point.  Both  begin 
with  a picture  of  watery  chaos,  designated  in  the  Hebrew  as  tehom,  in  the 
Assyrian  version  by  the  kindred  word  Tiamat.  The  order  of  creation 
appears  in  general  to  have  been  the  same,  except  in  the  one  instance 
where  the  priestly  writer  introduces  the  creation  of  vegetation  before  the 
heavenly  bodies  in  order  to  develop  his  system  of  symmetrical  corre- 
spondences (cf.  note  §1,  p.  51).  In  each  the  early  stages  of  creation  are 
accomplished  by  a process  of  separation.  The  conception  of  the  uni- 
verse is  precisely  similar  in  both  (cf.  diagram  p.  52).  The  resemblances 
extend  even  to  words  and  expressions. 

That  there  is  a real  historic  connection  between  the  two  versions  seems 
evident,  but  its  exact  nature  is  not  so  clear.  Babylonian  civilization  was 
undoubtedly  the  older  and  more  aggressive  and  touched  and  influenced 
that  of  Israel  at  many  different  periods.  Undoubtedly  the  exiled  Jewish 
priests  who  wrote  the  priestly  narratives  were  acquainted  with  the  tradi- 
tions current  among  their  Babylonian  conquerors,  and  may  well  have 
been  influenced  by  them,  as  they  certainly  were  by  their  ceremonial 
institutions.  The  resemblances  in  the  Judean  narratives  point,  however, 
to  a much  earlier  period.  That  is  found  in  the  many  centuries  antedating 
the  conquest  of  Canaan  by  the  Israelites,  when  Babylonian  ideas  were 
dominant  in  Palestine,  and  became  the  possession  of  the  Phoenicians  and 
Canaanites,  who  were  in  turn  the  teachers  of  the  Hebrews. 


IV 

PARALLELS  TO  THE  STORY  OF  PARADISE  AND  OF 

MAN’S  FALL 

No  complete  older  parallel  to  the  story  in  Genesis  24b  e324,  has  yet  been 
discovered,  and  if  one  is  ever  found  it  will  probably  be  in  Syria  rather  than 
Babylonia.  Into  the  narrative  as  it  now  stands  the  prophetic  author  has 
obviously  woven  many  different  motifs,  freely  adapting  them  to  his  didac- 
tic purpose.  Most  of  these  elements  are  common  to  the  lore  of  primitive 
peoples  and  especially  to  those  of  southwestern  Asia.  The  conception 
of  man  as  created  from  the  dust  of  the  earth  by  the  hand  of  God,  as 
has  been  shown,  is  present  in  its  early  form  in  the  old  Babylonian 
myths  (cf.  especially  pp.  362,  369).  Most  primitive  peoples  believed  the 
earliest  periods  to  be  the  most  perfect,  projecting  backward  rather  than 
forward,  the  realization  of  perfect  innocence  and  bliss.  The  Babylonian 
traditions  speak  of  the  long  antediluvian  dynasties  extending  through 

370 


THE  ADAPA  LEGEND 


thousands  of  years  (cf.  p.  58).  The  Egyptians  placed  first  the  perfect 
reign  of  Ra.  The  religions  of  India  distinguish,  (1)  the  age  of  perfection, 
(2)  that  of  triple  sacrifice,  (3)  that  of  doubt,  and  (4)  that  of  perdition. 
The  familiar  tradition  of  the  successive  ages  of  gold,  silver  and  iron, 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans  is  but  one  of  the  many  illustrations  of  the 
almost  universal  tendency — doubtless  psychological  in  its  origin — to 
idealize  the  past.  The  Hebrew  prophets  and  Jesus  first  taught  men  that 
“the  best  is  still  to  be”  and  fixed  their  eyes  on  the  future. 

The  early  poets  of  Persia,  India  and  China  all  tell  of  a sacred  spot, 
provided  with  trees  and  watered  by  streams  which  existed  far  back  at 
the  beginning  of  human  history.  The  Persians  made  this  region  of  bliss 
the  first  home  of  man  before  he  was  tempted  by  a demon  in  the  guise  of  a 
serpent.  The  much  quoted  Babylonian  inscription  which  has  been  in- 
terpreted as  referring  to  a sacred  garden  at  the  mouth  of  the  Euphrates, 
where  dwelt  the  goddess  Bahu,  has  been  so  variously  translated  that  its 
testimony  is  doubtful.  Indubitable,  however,  and  even  more  closely 
parallel  are  the  statements  in  the  great  Gilgamesh  epic  that  one  of  its 
heroes  was  granted  immortality  and  permitted  to  dwell  “in  the  distance 
at  the  confluence  of  the  streams,”  in  a place  carefully  guarded  by  scor- 
pion-men (cf.  p.  377). 

Gilgamesh  himself  finds  the  plant  called  “the  restoration  of  old  age  to 
youth”  and  through  it  is  about  to  attain  immortality,  when  a serpent 
snatches  it  away  and  the  hero  is  obliged  to  return  to  his  kindred  to  die 
the  common  death  of  mortals  (Tablet  XI,  294-310). 

In  that  important  collection  of  tablets  found  at  T ell-el- Amarna  and 
dating  from  the  fifteenth  century  b.c.,  there  is  also  a legend  of  a certain 
fisherman  by  the  name  of  Adapa.  He  is  described  as  the  son  of  Ea,  the 
god  of  the  deep.  He  lives  by  the  sea  (i.  e.,  the  Persian  Gulf).  Once 
when  he  was  fishing  for  the  house  of  Ea  his  lord  (possibly  to  secure  fish 
with  which  to  sacrifice  at  Ea’s  temple),  a storm  from  the  south  breaks 
upon  him.  The  storm  is  portrayed  as  a bird.  With  this  bird  Adapa 
contends,  even  though  it  throws  him  into  the  water,  and  fighting  as  he 
was  in  the  sea  (the  domain  of  Ea,  his  god),  he  succeeds,  even  though  he 
is  only  a mortal,  in  breaking  the  wings  of  the  storm-bird.  As  a result 
for  seven  days  the  south  wind  did  not  blow  across  the  land. 

Anu,  astonished  at  this  strange  phenomenon,  sends  a messenger  to 
inquire,  and  when  he  ascertains  the  cause,  he  demands  that  Adapa  be  sum- 
moned before  the  assembly  of  the  gods. 

At  the  advice  of  his  patron  god  Ea,  Adapa  secures  the  intercession 
of  two  of  the  minor  gods,  door-keepers  at  the  portals  of  heaven.  He  is 
also  instructed  by  Ea: 

“ When  thou  comest  before  Anu,  they  will  offer  thee  food  of  death.  Do  not 
eat.  They  will  offer  thee  waters  of  death.  Do  not  drink.  They  will  offer  thee  a 
garment.  Put  it  on.  They  will  offer  thee  oil.  Anoint  thyself.  The  order  that  I 
give  thee  do  not  neglect.  The  word  that  I speak  to  thee  take  to  heart.” 

These  instructions  he  faithfully  follows,  with  the  result  that  Anu’s 
wrath  is  finally  appeased.  The  gods,  however,  are  alarmed  at  the 

371 


PARALLELS  TO  THE  STORY  OF  MAN’S  FALL 


privileges  which  have  been  accorded  the  mortal  Adapa  in  being  permitted 
to  enter  heaven  and  to  view  the  divine  secrets.  But  now  that  he  is  in 
possession  of  these  secrets,  nothing  remains  but  to  admit  him  into  their 
midst: 

“ Now  what  shall  we  grant  him?  Offer  him  food  of  life  that  he  may  eat  of  it.” 
They  brought  it  to  him,  but  he  did  not  eat.  Waters  of  life  they  brought  him,  but 
he  did  not  drink.  A garment  they  brought  him.  He  put  it  on.  Oil  they  brought 
him.  He  anointed  himself. 

The  command  of  Ea,  the  friend  of  man,  however,  for  a reason  not  re- 
corded, deters  Adapa  from  attaining  immortality,  although  it  is  offered 
to  him.  The  other  gods  are  represented  as  regretting  his  refusal  to  eat 
the  food  of  life  and  to  drink  the  water  of  life.  Anu  looked  at  him  and 
lamented  over  him.  “Come,  Adapa,  why  didst  thou  not  eat  and  drink? 
Now  thou  canst  not  live.”  Accordingly  he  returns  to  earth. 

The  ideas  shared  in  common  with  the  biblical  story  of  Eden  are  many 
and  striking:  the  companionship  with  the  gods,  the  food  of  life  and  the 
water  of  life,  the  eating  of  which  would  confer  immortality,  and  the 
command  of  the  god  Ea  not  to  eat.  The  wide  points  of  difference  in 
the  two  stories  are  equally  obvious.  To  urge,  as  has  sometimes  been  done, 
that  they  are  variants  of  the  same  original,  is  exceedingly  precarious.  It 
is  significant,  however,  that  this  closest  approximation  to  a parallel  comes 
from  Palestine,  although  traces  of  its  existence  in  early  Babylonia  have 
also  been  discovered. 

Certain  suggestive  analogies  are  also  found  in  the  opening  tablet  of  the 
popular  Gilgamesh  epic,  which,  like  the  poem  of  creation,  is  composed 
of  many  different  stories  loosely  joined  together  and  associated  with  the 
name  of  the  demi-god,  Gilgamesh.  To  resist  that  hero  and  to  deliver 
the  city  of  Uruk  from  his  tyranny,  the  goddess  Aruru  “took  a bit  of  clay, 
threw  it  on  the  ground  and  created  Eabani,  a hero,  a noble  offspring.”  He 
is  pictured  as  having  long  locks  of  hair  which  covered  his  body; 

With  the  gazelles  he  eats  the  herbs, 

With  the  cattle  he  slakes  his  thirst, 

With  the  creatures  of  the  waters  he  sports. 

He  is,  in  fact,  like  Adam,  a type  of  primitive  man. 

In  the  present  form  of  the  story,  which  has  probably  been  modified 
through  its  incorporation  in  the  larger  epic,  Gilgamesh  sends  a “hunter  of 
men”  to  capture  Eabani,  but  he  is  terrified  at  the  sight  of  this  wild  man 
drinking  together  with  the  savage  beasts.  Then  Gilgamesh  sends  him 
again  with  a woman  (a  devotee  of  Ishtar,  similar  to  the  sacred  prostitute 
mentioned  in  Gen.  38),  to  woo  him  from  his  savagery.  The  plan  succeed- 
ed. The  personal  charms  and  blandishments  of  the  woman  held  Eabani 
captive.  Six  days  and  seven  nights  he  enjoyed  her  love. 

After  he  had  satisfied  himself  with  her  charms. 

He  turned  his  face  toward  his  cattle. 

When  they  saw  him,  Eabani,  they  shrank  from  him, 

The  beasts  of  the  field  turned  away  from  his  person. 

372 


THE  STORY  OF  EABANI 


Then  Eabani  looked  back,  his  body  was  bound ; 
His  knees  grew  stiff,  as  his  cattle  ran  away. 


So  he  turned  and  sat  at  the  feet  of  the  sacred  prostitute, 

Looked  up  into  her  face, 

And  listened,  while  she  spoke  ; 

The  woman  said  to  Eabani, 

“ Beautiful  art  thou,  Eabani,  like  a god  art  thou, 

Why  dost  thou  hunt  over  the  field  with  the  lower  creatures  ? 

Come,  I will  bring  thee  to  walled  Uruk, 

To  the  glorious  house  the  dwelling  of  Anu  and  Ishtar, 

Where  Gilgamesh  rules  supreme. 

And,  like  a wild  steer,  exercises  his  sway  over  men.” 

When  she  spoke  to  him,  her  speech  pleased  him, 

One  who  knew  his  heart,  a friend,  he  sought. 

Accordingly  they  go  to  Uruk  and  the  distinctively  Gilgamesh  motif  again 
becomes  prominent.  Divested  of  its  local  setting  and  naive  primitive 
conceptions,  this  Eabani  incident  is  strikingly  similar  to  the  first  part  of 
the  story  of  Adam  and  Eve. 

Other  illustrations  might  be  adduced  to  show  that  the  elements  which 
enter  into  the  story  of  man’s  temptation  and  fall  were,  most  of  them, 
if  not  all,  common  possessions  of  the  early  Semitic  races  and  especially 
the  Babylonians.  They  are  the  threads,  the  flotsam  and  jetsam,  woven 
by  the  master  hand  of  an  inspired  prophet  into  that  marvellous  tapestry 
which  has  held  the  admiring  gaze  of  scores  of  generations,  while  it  pict- 
ures in  clear,  vivid  outlines  the  divine  truths  which  he  strove  to  set  forth. 


V 

THE  BABYLONIAN  PARALLELS  TO  THE  FLOOD  STORY 

The  most  complete  Babylonian  account  of  the  flood  is  found  in  the 
eleventh  tablet  of  the  great  Gilgamesh  epic.  It  was  doubtless  originally 
distinct,  but  has  been  woven  into  the  cycle  of  stories  associated  with  that 
popular  hero.  Recently  discovered  fragments  prove  its  existence  as  early 
as  2100  b.c.,  and,  like  the  poem  of  the  creation,  it  doubtless  comes  from 
a much  earlier  epoch.  For  the  bibliography  see  page  354. 

After  many  adventures,  Gilgamesh,  in  quest  of  healing  and  immortality, 
arrives  at  the  distant  abode  of  Parnapishtim  (or  Utnapishtim  or  (^itna- 
pishtim — the  word  is  variously  transliterated),  the  hero  of  the  flood  story. 

In  reply  to  Gilgamesh’s  question  as  to  why  he,  a mortal  in  form  and  feat- 
ure like  himself,  attained  to  immortality,  Parnapishtim  said  to  Gilgamesh: 

I will  reveal  to  thee,  Gilgamesh,  something  hidden 
And  the  secret  of  the  gods  I will  tell  thee. 

Shurippak,  a city  thou  knowest, 

Lies  on  the  bank  of  the  Euphrates, 

373 


Intro- 
duction 
(XI,  9- 
10) 


Determi- 
nation of 
the  gods 
to  de- 
stroy 
Shur- 
ippak 
(11-18) 


Ea’s 
warning 
and  ad- 
vice to 
Parna- 
pishtim 
(19-31) 


Pama- 
pish- 
tim’s  re- 
sponse 
(32-35) 


The  ex- 
plana- 
tion he 
is  to  give 
to  the 


people  of 
nis  city 
(36-43) 


is 


Building 
of  the 
ship  (57- 
67) 


PARALLELS  TO  THE  FLOOD  STORY 

That  city  was  (already)  old,a  when  the  gods  thereof 
Resolved  to  bring  a flood,  even  the  great  gods, 

Among  them  their  father  Anu, 

Their  counsellor,  the  warrior  Bel, 

Their  herald  Ninib, 

Their  leader  Ennugi. 

Ea,  the  lord  of  wisdom,  was  with  them 
And  to  the  reed-hut  proclaimed  their  resolve  : 

“Reed-hut,  reed-hut!  house-wall,  house- wall ! 

Reed-hut,  hear  ! house-wall,  give  heed  !b 
Man  of  Shurippak,  son  of  Ubara-Tutu, 

Construct0  a house,  build  a ship, 

Leave  goods,  look  after  life, 

Forsake  possessions,  and  save  life  ! 

Cause  all  kinds  of  living  things4  to  go  up  into  the  ship. 

The  ship  which  thou  shalt  build, — 

Exact  shall  be  its  dimensions : 

Its  breadth  shall  equal  its  length. 

On  the  great  deep  launch  it.” 

I understood  and  said  to  Ea  my  lord  : 

“ Behold,  my  lord,  what  thou  hast  commanded, 

I have  reverently  received  and  will  carry  out. 

But  what  answer  shall  I give  to  the  city,  the  people  and  the  elders  ? ” 

Ea  opened  his  mouth  and  said, 

Said  to  me,  his  servant : 

“ [O  man],  thus  say  in  reply  to  them, 

‘ Bel  has  cast  me  out  in  his  hatred, 

So  that  I can  no  longer  dwell  in  your  city,e 
On  Bel’s  territory  I can  no  longer  show  my  face  ; 

Therefore  I will  go  down  to  the  great  deep  to  dwell  with  Ea,  my  lord, 

But  upon  you  he  will  cause  torrents  of  rain  to  descend.’  ” 

The  next  four  fragmentary  lines  appear  to  describe  the  destruction  that 
to  come.  The  following  morning  Parnapishtim  begins  his  work. 

On  the  fifth  day  I traced  out  its  form,f 

According  to  the  plan  its  sides  were  one  hundred  and  twenty  cubits  high, 

The  border8  of  its  roof  was  one  hundred  and  twenty  cubits  on  every  side.h 
I traced  out  its  form,  I marked  it  off, 

I built  it  in  six  stories,1 
I divided  it  into  seven  parts  ; 

Its  interior  I divided  into  nine  parts. 

Plugs  (to  keep  outJ)  the  water  I drove  in  from  within. 

I provided  a rudder-pole  and  supplied  what  was  necessary ; 

Six  sars  of  pitch  I poured  over  the  outside, 

Three  sars  of  bitumen  I poured  over  the  inside. 


3 The  current  translation,  corrupt,  is  exceedingly  doubtful. 

b The  reed-hut  and  house-wall  represent  the  habitations  of  men,  who  are  in  reality  the 
ones  addressed,  as  the  subsequent  context  demonstrates.  Cf.  Is.  I1. 
c Or,  pull  down  the  house. 
d Lit.,  seed  of  life  of  every  kind. 
e Or,  after  Bel  has  cast  me  out,  I will,  etc. 

1 Or,  laid  its  frame  or  bow. 

8 Or,  slope.  The  word  is  used  to  describe  the  bank  of  a stream.  It  may  mean  a slightly 
inclined  level  surface. 

h That  is,  the  ark  was  a perfect  cube. 

■ The  text  at  this  point  is  broken  and  the  meaning  of  the  words  which  have  been  preserved 
doubtful,  so  that  the  reading  is  only  conjectural, 
i Or  to  let  in  water  for  the  use  of  the  ship’s  crew. 

374 


THE  BABYLONIAN  VERSION 


Three  sars  of  oil  the  basket-carriers  brought  on  board ; 

I reserved  one  sar  of  oil  to  be  used  for  libations. 

Two  sars  of  oil  the  sailors  stowed  away. 

For  the  people  I slaughtered  oxen, 

Lambs  I killed  each  day. 

New  wine,  sesame  wine,  oil  and  grape  wine 
I gave  the  people  to  drink,  like  the  water  of  the  river, 

And  made  a feast  like  a New  Year’s  Day  festival ; 

I opened  a box  of  ointment,  I put  my  hand  therein. 

In  the  month  of  the  great  Shamash  was  the  ship  completed. 


The  pro- 
visions 
and  the 
feast  in 
honor  of 
its  com- 
pletion 
(68-77) 


All  which  I possessed  I loaded  on  it. 

All  the  silver  I had  I loaded  on  it. 

All  the  gold  I had  I loaded  on  it, 

All  the  living  creatures  of  all  kinds  I loaded  on  it. 

I brought  on  board  my  family  and  household ; 

Cattle  of  the  field,  beasts  of  the  field,  the  craftsmen — all  of  them  I brought  on 
board. 


The  lad- 
ing of 
the  ship 
(81-86) 


A time  had  Shamash  appointed  (saying),  The  em 

“ When  the  lord  of  darkness  at  evening  shall  send  down  a destructive  rain, 

Then  enter  within  the  ship  and  close  the  door.”  (87-%) 

When  that  time  came, 

The  lord  of  darkness  at  evening  sent  down  a destructive  rain  ; 

I saw  the  beginning  of  the  storm, k 
I was  afraid  to  look  upon  the  storm, 

I entered  into  the  ship  and  closed  the  door. 

To  the  captain  of  the  ship,  to  Puzur-Shadurabu,  the  sailor, 

I entrusted  the  great  house,  with  its  contents. 

When  the  first  light  of  dawn  shone  forth, 

There  rose  from  the  horizon  a dark  cloud,  within  which  Adad  thundered, 

Nabu  and  Marduk  marched  at  the  front, 

The  heralds  passed  over  mountains  and  land  ; 

Sil  tore  out  the  ship’s  mast,* 1 

advanced,  following  up  the  attack, 

The  spirits  of  earth,™  raised  torches. 

With  their  sheen  they  lighted  up  the  world. 

Adad’s  tempest  reached  to  heaven, 

And  all  light  was  changed  to  darkness. 


Descrip- 
tion of 
the  ter- 
rible 
tempest 
(97-106) 


, No  man  longer  saw  another. 

Even  from  heaven  men  could  no  longer  be  descried. 

The  gods  were  terrified  at  the  tempestuous  flood,  and 
Shrinking  back,  mounted  up  to  the  highest  heaven.0 
The  gods  cowered  like  dogs  at  the  edge  of  the  heavens. 

Ishtar  groaned  like  a woman  in  travail, 

The  sweet-voiced  mistress  of  the  gods  wailed  : 

“ That  race  of  mortals  has  turned  again  to  clay. 

Since  in  the  assembly  of  the  gods  I assented  to  the  evil ! 

How  was  it  that  in  the  assembly  of  the  gods  I assented  to  the  evil, 
I consented  to  let  a tempest  destroy  my  people  ! 

And  will  I (ever  again)  give  birth  to  my  people,0 
If  like  the  fry  of  fishes  they  fill  the  sea  ? ” 


k Or,  day. 

1 Or,  anchor-stake  or  steering-pole. 
m Lit.,  Annunaki. 

* Lit.,  heaven  of  Ann. 

0 I.  e.,  mankind,  of  whom  Ishtar  was  conceived  to  be  the  universal  mother. 

375 


Effect  of 
the  tem- 
pest up- 
on men 
and  gods 
(112-127) 


Dura- 
tion and 
cessa- 
tion of 
the  flood 
(128-132) 


The  uni- 
versal 
destruc- 
tion and 
Paraa- 
pish- 
tim’s 
sorrow 
(133-138) 


Ground- 
ing of 
the  ark 
on 

Mount 

Nisir 

(139-145) 


Sending 
out  the 
birds 
(146-155) 


The  of- 
fering 
on 

emerg- 
ing from 
the  ship 
(156-162) 


Ishtar’s 
arraign- 
ment of 
Bel  (163- 
170) 


Anu’s 
rage  and 
the 

charge 
against 
Ea  (171- 
179) 


PARALLELS  TO  THE  FLOOD  STORY 

The  gods,  together  with  the  spirits  of  the  earth,  wept  with  her. 

The  gods,  bowed  down,  sat  there  weeping, 

Close  pressed  together  were  their  lips. 

For  six  days  and  nights 

Wind,  flood  and  storm  overwhelmed  the  land. 

But  when  the  seventh  day  arrived  there  was  an  abatement  of  the  storm,  the 
flood  and  the  tempest, 

Which  [like  a host]  had  contended ; 

The  sea  became  calm,  the  tempestuous  wind  was  still,  the  flood  ceased. 

Then  I looked  for  the  race  of  mortals,  but  every  voice  was  hushed, 

And  all  mankind  had  been  turned  to  clay. 

As  soon  as  the  light  of  day  appeared,  1 prayed,? 

I opened  a hole  so  as  to  let  the  light  fall  upon  my  cheeks, 

I bowed  down  and  sat  there  weeping, 

Tears  flowed  down  my  cheeks. 

I looked  in  all  directions,  toward  the  border  of  the  sea ; 

After  twenty-four  hours  an  island  rose  up. 

The  ship  approached  the  mountain  Nisir, 

The  mountain  Nisir  caught  the  ship  and  held  it  fast. 

So  also  during  the  five  succeeding  days,  it  held  the  ship  fast.'5 

When  the  seventh  day  arrived, 

I sent  forth  a dove  and  let  it  loose, 

The  dove  went  forth  but  came  back; 

Because  it  found  no  resting-plaCe,  it  returned. 

Then  I sent  forth  a swallow,  but  it  came  back ; 

Because  it  found  no  resting-place,  it  returned. 

Then  I sent  forth  a raven  and  let  it  loose. 

The  raven  went  forth  and  saw  that  the  waters  had  decreased ; 

It  fed,  it  waded,  it  croaked,  but  did  not  return. 

Then  I sent  forth  everything  in  all  directions,  and  offered  a sacrifice, 

I made  an  offering  of  incense  on  the  highest  peak  of  the  mountain. 

Seven  and  seven r bowls  I placed  there, 

And  over  them,  I poured  out  calamus,  cedar  wood  and  fragrant  herbs. 

The  gods  inhaled  the  odor. 

The  gods  inhaled  the  sweet  odor, 

The  gods  gathered  like  flies  above  the  sacrifice. 

As  soon  as  (Ishtar),  the  mistress  of  the  gods  approached. 

She  raised  up  the  great  intaglio  which  Anu  had  prepared  at  her  desire, 

(Saying),  “ Ye  gods,  who  are  here  ! Verily  if  I do  not  forget  my  jewel  necklace^ 

I will  remember  these  days  and  nevermore  forget. 

Let  the  gods  approach  the  incense-offering, 

But  Bel  must  never  come  to  the  incense-offering  ; 

Since  without  consideration  he  caused  the  flood. 

And  delivered  my  people  to  destruction.” 

As  soon  as  Bel  approached, 

He  saw  the  ship  and  was  enraged, 

Was  filled  with  anger  against  the  gods,  the  spirits  of  heaven  : 

“ What  person  has  escaped  ? 

No  man  was  to  survive  the  destruction.”  % 

Ninib  opened  his  mouth  and  said. 


p Following  a conjectural  translation  of  Jensen  KB  VI,  239. 
s The  formula  found  in  the  preceding  line  is  repeated  for  each  of  the  days. 
' Fourteen  or  else  seven  (the  sacred  number)  for  each  god  or  goddess. 

376 


THE  BABYLONIAN  VERSION 


Spoke  to  the  warrior  Bel : 

“ Who  but  Ea  could  have  done  this  ? 

For  Ea  knows  every  art.” 

Ea  opened  his  mouth  and  said, 

Spoke  to  the  warrior  Bel : 

“ Thou  warrior,  wisest  of  the  gods. 

Why,  why  didst  thou  without  consultation  bring  on  the  flood  ? 

On  the  sinner  lay  his  sin, 

On  the  evil-doer,  his  evil  deeds, 

But  be  merciful,  so  as  not  to  cut  off  completely. 

Instead  of  causing  a flood. 

Let  lions  come  and  diminish  mankind. 

Instead  of  causing  a flood. 

Let  leopards  come  and  diminish  mankind. 

Instead  of  causing  a flood. 

Let  famine  come  and  smite  the  land. 

Instead  of  causing  a flood. 

Let  pestilence  come  and  waste  the  land. 

I have  not  revealed  the  secret  of  the  great  gods  ; 

To  the  very  pious3  one  I sent  a dream  and  thus  he  learned  the  secret  of  the  gods.” 

Then  Bel  took  his  counsel, 

And  went  on  board  the  ship. 

Seized  my  hand  and  led  me  up. 

Led  up  my  wife  also  and  had  her  kneel  beside  me. 

Touched  our  shoulders,  stepped  between  us  and  blessed  us,  (saying), 

“ Formerly  Parnapishtim  was  human  ; 

But  now  Parnapishtim  and  his  wife  shall  be  gods  like  us, 

And  Parnapishtim  shall  dwell  in  the  distance,  at  the  confluence  of  the  streams.” 
Then  they  took  me  and  made  me  dwell  in  the  distance,  at  the  confluences  of  the 
streams. 

The  points  of  likeness  between  the  biblical  and  Babylonian  account  of 
the  flood  are  unmistakable.  Furthermore,  another  variant  Babylonian 
version  of  the  same  story  is  preserved.  It  is  from  Berosus,  and,  as  might 
be  anticipated,  is  more  closely  parallel  to  the  late  priestly  narrative  of  the 
Old  Testament.  The  hero  of  Berosus’  story  is  Xisuthrus  (a  modifica- 
tion of  the  designation  “pious  one”  found  in  the  older  epic).  As  Noah 
represented  the  tenth  generation,  so  he  was  the  tenth  in  the  line  of  kings 
which  began  with  the  creation. 

Acting  in  accordance  with  the  warning  and  command  of  the  deity,  he 
built  a ship.  Its  dimensions  are  much  larger  than  in  the  older  version: 
five  stadia  in  length  and  two  in  breadth.  When  all  was  ready  he  took  on 
board  his  wife,  children,  friends  and  pilot,  as  well  as  all  the  different 
kinds  of  animals  and  birds.  As  the  flood  began  to  recede  he  sent  out  birds. 
The  second  time  they  come  back  with  mud  on  their  feet,  and  the  third 
time  they  do  not  return  at  all.  The  ship  finally  strands  on  a mountain 
of  Armenia — which  suggests  the  Mount  Ararat  of  the  priestly  version — 
and  Xisuthrus  offers  a sacrifice  to  the  gods  as  he  disembarks. 

Almost  every  primitive  people  had  its  tradition  of  the  flood  and  most 


Ea’s 
counter- 
charge 
and  ad- 
vice to 
Bei  ( ISO- 
194) 


Ea’s  de- 
fence 
(195, 196) 


Bel’sgift 
of  im- 
mortali- 
ty to 
Parna- 
pishtim 
and  his 
wife 
(197-205) 


8 Atra-hasis.  The  two  words  transposed  give  the  name  Xisuthrus  of  Berosus’  version. 

377 


PARALLELS  TO  THE  FLOOD  STORY 

of  them  have  certain  points  in  common  (cf.  the  table  in  Worcester,  The 
Booh  of  Genesis  in  the  Light  of  Modern  Knowledge  and  Lenormant  BH). 
Ordinarily  these  coincidences  appear  to  be  due  to  the  recurrence  of 
similar  natural  phenomena,  or  else  are  the  results  of  the  same  psycho- 
logical processes.  These,  however,  do  not  explain  the  many  and  minute 
analogies  between  the  biblical  and  Babylonian  versions.  The  setting 
and  atmosphere  of  both  alike  is  the  great  valley  of  the  Tigris-Euphrates, 
There  the  common  Semitic  traditions  originated,  and  there  it  was  cur- 
rent long  before  the  days  of  Moses.  Together  with  Babylonian  arms, 
commerce  and  ideas  it  was  carried  to  Palestine  at  a very  early  period,  to 
be  in  turn  adopted  and  transformed  by  the  Hebrew  story-tellers  and 
prophets.  Later  in  the  exile,  the  Jewish  priests  who  wrote  the  late 
priestly  version  were  apparently  influenced  by  the  form  of  the  tradition 
current  in  Babylonia  in  their  day.  Thus  the  story,  already  centuries 
old,  purified  from  all  polytheistic  and  debasing  ideas,  realized  its  final 
and  noblest  mission  in  the  hands  of  Israel’s  inspired  prophets  and  priests 
and  found  a well-merited  place  in  the  Old  Testament. 


VI 

ANCIENT  BABYLONIAN  LAWS  REGARDING  MARRIAGES 
WITH  HOUSEHOLD  SLAVES 

The  laws  in  the  recently  discovered  Code  of  Hammurabi  (c.  2250  b.c.) 
and  the  old  Babylonian  contract  tablets,  demonstrate  that  the  custom 
assumed  in  the  story  of  Abraham  and  Hagar  in  Genesis  16  and  21  was 
a very  ancient  Semitic  institution.  In  case  the  wife  was  childless,  she 
was  expected  to  give  her  husband  a maid  to  bear  him  children.  It  was 
also  enacted  that  assumption  of  equality  on  the  part  of  the  maid  should 
be  punished  by  the  mistress.  Sarai’s  demand  in  Genesis  165  and  Abra- 
ham’s acquiescence  in  6 were  in  accord  with  ancient  Semitic  usage. 

The  following  laws  from  the  Code  of  Hammurabi  relate  to  votaries 
(women  wholly  consecrated,  like  the  Nazirites,  to  some  deity),  who  often 
married,  although  they  had  vowed  themselves  to  a life  of  celibacy  and 
were  therefore  subject  to  the  same  regulations  as  childless  wives  (cf. 
Johns’s  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  Laws,  Contracts  and  Letters,  pp.  55,  135). 

§144.  If  a man  has  married  a votary,  and  that  votary  has  given  a 
maid  to  her  husband,  and  so  causes  him  to  have  children,  and,  if  that  man 
is  inclined  to  marry  a concubine,  that  man  shall  not  be  allowed  to  do  so, 
he  shall  not  marry  a concubine. 

§145.  If  a man  has  married  a votary,  and  she  has  not  granted  him 
children,  and  he  has  determined  to  marry  a concubine,  that  man  shall 
marry  the  concubine,  and  bring  her  into  his  house,  but  the  concubine 
shall  not  place  herself  on  an  equality  with  the  votary. 

§146.  If  a man  has  married  a votary,  and  she  has  given  a maid  to 

37S 


ESAU’S  DESCENDANTS 


her  husband,  and  has  borne  children,  and  if  afterward  that  maid  has 
placed  herself  on  an  equality  with  her  mistress,  because  she  has  borne 
children,  her  mistress  shall  not  sell  her.  She  shall  place  a slave-mark 
upon  her,  and  reckon  her  with  the  slave-girls. 

§147.  If  she  has  not  borne  children,  her  mistress  shall  sell  her. 


VII 

ESAU’S  DESCENDANTS  AND  THE  EARLY  EDOMITE  KINGS 

The  evidences  that  Genesis  36  is  composite  are  many.  Vss.  1 and  9 
begin  with  the  usual  priestly  formula,  but  the  presence  of  two  duplicate 
variant  introductions  strongly  suggests  that  they  are  from  different  strands 
of  the  priestly  narratives.  Esau’s  wives  in  1-5  are  distinct  from  those  in 
2634,  289.  In  2634  Elon  is  the  father  of  Basemath,  but  in  362-  3 he  is  the 
father  of  Adah,  and  Ishmael  is  the  father  of  Basemath.  In  41  Oholibamah 
(another  wife)  figures  as  one  of  the  descendants  of  Esau.  Vss.  1-5  ap- 
pear therefore  to  be  secondary  and  to  represent  a different  tradition 
from  that  in  9 ff. 

The  origin  of  the  various  lists  found  in  this  chapter  is  not  entirely  clear. 

Verses  31-39  have  the  characteristic  formulas  of  the  Judean  narratives. 

At  least  the  basis  of  15-19  appears  to  be  from  the  same  source.  Like  the 
corresponding  lists  in  Genesis  10  they  are  probably  from  the  later  Judean 
strand.  They  undoubtedly  contain  authentic  historical  data,  but  so 
little  is  known  regarding  the  early  history  of  Edom,  that  it  is  impossible 
to  utilize  them.  The  chapter  is  important  chiefly  because  it  illustrates 
the  feeling  of  close  kinship  with  which  the  Hebrews  always  regarded  this 
people,  whose  history  was  fatally  interwoven  with  their  own. 

Late  Priestly  Narratives 

Gen. 36  ■Now  these  are  the  generations  of  Esau,  that  is  Edom.  5Esau  took  his  Esau’s 
wives  of  the  daughters  of  Canaan  : Adah  the  daughter  of  Elon  the  Hittite,  and  Oholibamah 
the  daughter  of  Anah,!l  the  daughter  of  Zibeon  the  Hivite,  3and  Basemath,  Ishmael’s  children 
daughter,  the  sister  of  Nebaioth.  •'And  to  Esau  Adah  bore  Eliphaz,  and  Basemath  bore 
Reuel,  6and  Oholibamah  bore  Jeush,  Jalam,  and  Korah.  These  are  the  sons  of  Esau,  who 
were  born  to  him  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

9And  these  are  the  generations  of  Esau  the  father  of  Edom  in  Mount 
Seir.  10These  are  the  names  of  Esau’s  sons:  Eliphaz  the  son  of  Adah  the  edfrom 
wife  of  Esau,  Reuel  the  son  of  Basemath  the  wife  of  Esau.  nAnd  the  sons  sous  3 
of  Eliphaz  were  Teman,  Omar,  Zepho,  Gatam,  and  Kenaz.  I2And  Timna» 
was  a concubine  of  Eliphaz  Esau’s  son  ; and  she  bore  to  Eliphaz  Amalek.  These  are 
the  sons  of  Adah,  Esau’s  wife.  13And  these  are  the  sons  of  Reuel : Nahath, 

Zerah,  Shammah,  and  Mizzah.  These  were  the  sons  of  Basemath, 

Esau’s  wife.  HAnd  these  were  the  sons  of  Oholibamah  the  daughter  of  Anah,  the 
daughter  of  Zibeon,  Esau’s  wife;  and  she  bore  to  Esau  Jeush,  Jalam  and  Korah. 


a 362  In  20  Anah  is  a Horite. 

b 3612  In  40  Timna  is  a descendant  of  Esau,  and  in  22  a Horite,  the  sister  of  Lotan. 

379 


EARLY  HORITE  AND  EDOMITE  KINGS 


Late  Priestly  Narratives 

The  20These  were  the  sons  of  Seir  the  Horite,  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the 
Horite  land:  Lotan,  Shobal,  Zibeon,  Anah,  21Dishon,  Ezer  and  Dishan;  these 
were  the  chiefs  that  came  of  the  Horites,  the  children  of  Seir  in  the  land 
of  Edom.  22 And  the  children  of  Lotan  were  Hori  and  Heman;  and 
Lotan’s  sister  was  Timna.  23 And  these  were  the  children  of  Shobal: 
Alvan,  Manahath,  Ebal,  Shepho  and  Onam.  24And  these  were  the  chil- 
dren of  Zibeon:  Aiah  and  Anah.  This  was  Anah  who  found  the  hot 
springs0  in  the  wilderness  as  he  pastured  the  asses  of  Zibeon  his  father. 
25 And  these  are  the  children  of  Anah : Dishon  and  Oholibamah,  the  daughter 
of  Anah.  26And  these  are  the  children  of  Dishon : Hemdan,  Eshban,  Ithran 
and  Cheran.  27These  are  the  children  of  Ezer:  Bilhan,  Zaavan  and  Akan. 
28These  are  the  children  of  Dishon:  Uz  and  Aran. 

Horite  29These  are  the  chiefs  of  the  Horites:  the  chief  of  Lotan,  the  chief  of 
chiefs  Shobal,  the  chief  of  Zibeon,  the  chief  of  Anah,  30the  chief  of  Dishon,  the 
chief  of  Ezer,  the  chief  of  Dishan.  These  are  the  chiefs  of  the  Horites,  ac- 
cording to  their  principalities  in  the  land  of  Seir. 

The  40 And  these  are  the  names  of  the  chiefs  that  came  of  Esau,  according 

chiefs' e to  their  families,  after  their  places,  by  their  names:  the  chief  of  Timna,  the 
chief  of  Alvah,  the  chief  of  Jetheth,  41the  chief  of  Oholibamah,  the  chief 
of  Elah,  the  chief  of  Pinon,  42the  chief  of  Kenaz,  the  chief  of  Teman, 
the  chief  of  Mibzar,  43the  chief  of  Magdiel,  the  chief  of  Iram.  These  are 
the  chiefs  of  Edom,  according  to  their  dwelling-places  in  the  land  of  their 
possession,  that  is  of  Esau,  the  father  of  Edom. 


kings  of 
Edom 


Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

15These  are  the  chiefs  of  the  sons  of  Esau:  the  sons  of  Eliphaz  the 
eldest  son  of  Esau:  the  chief  of  Teman,  the  chief  of  Omar,  the  chief  of 
Zepho,  the  chief  of  Kenaz,  1Gthe  chief  of  Korah,  the  chief  of  Gatam,  the 
chief  of  Amalek.  These  are  the  chiefs  of  Eliphaz  in  the  land  of  Edom; 
these  are  the  sons  of  Adah.  17And  these  are  the  sons  of  Reuel,  Esau’s 
son:  the  chief  of  Nahath,  the  chief  of  Zerah,  the  chief  of  Shammah,  the 
chief  of  Mizzah.  These  are  the  chiefs  of  Reuel  in  the  land  of  Edom; 
these  are  the  sons  of  Basemath,  Esau’s  wife.  18And  these  are  the  sons  of 
Oholibamah,  Esau’s  wife:  the  chief  of  Jeush,  the  chief  of  Jalam,  the 
chief  of  Korah.  These  are  the  chiefs  of  Oholibamah  the  daughter  of  Anah,  Esau’s 
wife.  19These  are  the  sons  of  Esau,  and  these  are  their  chiefs,  that  is 
Edom. 

31  And  these  are  the  kings  who  had  reigned  in  the  land  of  Edom,  before 
any  king  reigned  over  the  Israelites.  32And  Bela  the  son  of  Beor  reigned 
in  Edom;  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Dinahbah.  33 And  Bela  died,  and 
Jobab  the  son  of  Zerah  of  Bozrah  reigned  in  his  stead.  34And  Jobab 
died,  and  Husham  of  the  land  of  the  Temanites  reigned  in  his  stead. 
35 And  Husham  died,  and  Hadad  the  son  of  Bedad,  who  smote  Midian  in 
the  field  of  Moab,  reigned  in  his  stead ; and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Avith. 


3624  The  meaning  of  the  word  translated  hot  springs  is  very  doubtful. 

380 


LOCATION  OF  SINAI-HOREB 


Later  Judean  Prophetic  Narratives 

36And  Hadad  died,  and  Samlah  of  Masrekah  reigned  in  his  stead.  37 And 
Samlah  died,  and  Shaul  of  Rehoboth  by  the  River  reigned  in  his  stead. 
38 And  Shaul  died,  and  Baai-hanan  the  son  of  Achbor  reigned  in  his  stead. 
39 And  Baal-hanan  the  son  of  Achbor  died,  and  Hadar  reigned  in  his 
stead;  and  the  name  of  his  city  was  Pan;  and  his  wife’s  name  was  Mehet- 
abel,  the  daughter  of  Matred,  the  daughter  of  Mezahab. 

VIII 

THE  LOCATION  OF  SINAI-HOREB 

l 

Perhaps  no  other  geographical  problem  connected  with  the  Old  Testa- 
ment is  beset  with  more  difficulties  than  the  location  of  Sinai-Horeb. 
The  question  is  also  still  open  as  to  whether  or  not  the  Sinai  of  the  Judean 
and  priestly  is  the  same  as  the  Mount  or  Horeh  of  the  Ephraimite  and 
late  prophetic  narratives.  The  data  are  of  such  a character  that  it  is  also 
doubtful  whether  or  not  an  assured  identification  can  ever  be  established. 
The  references  in  the  oldest  documents  all  locate  Sinai,  not  in  the  Sinaitic 
peninsula,  but  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  Edom.  Thus  in  the  song  of 
Deborah  (Judg.  54>  5)  Seir,  Edom  and  Sinai  are  referred  to  as  if  in  the 
same  general  region.  In  Dt.  332  the  parallelism  is  exceedingly  close: 

Jehovah  came  from  Sinai, 

And  beamed  forth  to  them  from  Seir  ; 

He  shone  forth  from  Mount  Paran. 

The  Ephraimite  traditions  locate  Horeb  on  the  western  side  of  the 
territory  of  Midian  (Ex.  31),  and  Midi  an  itself  is  never,  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, placed  in  the  Sinaitic  peninsula,  but  rather  to  the  east  of  the  Gulf 
of  Akabah  and  south  of  Edom.  This  identification  accords  well  with  the 
statement  that  Elijah  alone  and  on  foot  made  the  journey  from  Beersheba 
to  Horeb  in  forty  days  (I  Kgs.  193’  8). 

The  implication  of  the  oldest  narratives  is  that  the  mountain  of  Jehovah, 
which  was  held  sacred  by  the  Midianites,  was  situated  in  or  near  this  terri- 
tory. As  the  Hebrews  depart  from  there,  Moses  urges  his  father-in-law 
to  accompany  him  (Num.  1029).  Furthermore,  it  is  not  probable  that 
Kadesh,  their  centre  during  the  wilderness  period,  was  far  removed  from 
the  mountain  of  God. 

Other  practical  considerations  render  it  difficult  to  defend  the  traditional 
site.  It  is  impossible  to  see  why  a people  whose  objective  point  was  Canaan 
should  march  in  the  opposite  direction,  and,  what  is  more,  into  a compara- 
tive desert  which  has  not  water  enough  to  supply  a caravan  made  up  of 
even  a fraction  of  the  persons  and  animals  which  the  traditions  assign 
to  the  Hebrews  at  this  time.  The  Egyptian  records  also  indicate  that 
they  would  be  obliged  to  pass  Egyptian  garrisons  on  the  western  side  of 
the  peninsula. 

It  is  only  in  the  late  priestly  itineraries  that  there  is  the  slightest  suggey 

381 


TABLES  OF  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES 


tion  that  the  mountain  of  God  was  located  in  the  Sinaitic  peninsula,  and 
that  is  based  on  the  ingenious  but  necessarily  highly  conjectural  identi- 
fications of  the  names  of  places,  the  location  of  which  could  not  be  definitely 
fixed  because  the  nature  of  the  country  does  not  render  permanent  settle- 
ments possible. 

The  tradition  which  would  locate  Sinai  in  the  peninsula  cannot  be 
definitely  traced  back  beyond  the  third  or  fourth  Christian  century,  and 
even  then  and  up  to  the  present  it  has  wavered  between  several  imposing 
peaks,  any  one  of  which  would  well  answer  the  description  of  the  mount 
of  revelation  in  Exodus  19.  The  same  is  also  true  of  several  of  the  spurs 
of  Mount  Seir,  and  in  this  general  region  it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  the 
oldest  traditions  originally  localized  Jehovah's  first  abiding-place. 


IX 

TABLES  OF  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES 

The  subject  of  weights  and  measures  will  be  considered  in  detail  in  the 
Appendix  to  Volume  IV.  These  tables  will  give  the  approximate  equiva- 
lents of  the  weights  and  measures  employed  in  this  volume. 

The  following  weights  are  computed  according  to  the  Troy  standard: 


Babylonian  Phoenician 

HEAVY  LIGHT  HEAVY  LIGHT 


Shekel 

.35  oz.  .47  oz. 

.23  oz. 

Mina 

3.5  lbs. 

1.75  lbs.  2.33  lbs. 

1.17  lbs. 

Talent . 

210.4  “ 

105.19  “ 140.25  “ 

70.12  “ 

Dry  and  Liquid  Measures  TTr™~, 

JL1 1 KLo 

GALLONS 

Log 

.50 

.11 

Cab 

2.02 

.44 

Omer 

3.63 

.80 

Sacred  Hin 

4.54 

1.00 

Hin 

6.06 

1.33 

Great  Hin 

9.09 

2.00 

Seah 

12.12 

2.67 

Bath 

36.37 

8.00 

Homer 

363.70 

80.05 

Linear 

Measures 

Longer  System  Shorter  System 

METRES  INCHES  METRES 

INCHES 

Finger’s  breadth. . 

. . .022  .86  .019 

.74 

Palm 

. . .087  3.44  .075 

2.95 

Span 

.....  . . . 

.262  10.33  .225 

8.86 

Cubit 

. .525  20.67  .450 

17.72 

382 


The 

Student’s  Old  Testament 

Logically  and  Chronologically 
Arranged  and  Translated 

BY 

CHARLES  FOSTER  KENT,  Ph.D. 

WOOLSEY  PROFESSOR  OF  BIBLICAL  LITERATURE  IN  YALE  UNIVERSITY 

Announcement 


The  five  essen- 
tials for  Old  Tes- 
tament study: 

( I)  A systemat- 
ic classification  of 
its  contents. 


HE  Old  Testament  is  a library  containing 
the  writings  of  Israel’s  inspired  teachers, 
who  lived  at  periods  far  removed  from  each  other, 
wrote  from  widely  different  points  of  view,  and 
expressed  their  thoughts  in  the  language  and  liter- 
ary forms  peculiar  to  the  primitive  Semitic  East.  Their  modem 
readers,  however,  live  in  the  very  different  western  world.  The 
result  is  that,  while  the  combination  of  early  songs,  primi' ive 
traditions,  ethnological  tables,  tribal  stories,  genealogical  bsls, 
prophetic  exhortations,  laws,  judicial  precedents,  and  historical 
narratives  found,  for  example,  in  such  a book  as  Exodus,  seems 
perfectly  natural  to  the  intuitive  Oriental,  it  is  a fertile  source  of 
confusion  to  the  logical  Occidental.  The  obvious  solution  of  the 
difficulty  is  to  be  found  in  systematic  classification.  This  work 
was  begun  by  the  Greek  translators  of  the  Old  Testament,  to 
whom  is  chiefly  due  the  approximately  logical  arrangement  of 
the  books  in  the  English  Bible.  The  confusion  may  be  still  fur- 
ther eliminated  by  grouping  together  those  writings  which  have 
the  same  general  theme,  aim,  and  literary  form,  and  then  by  re- 
arranging them  within  each  group  in  the  approximate  order  in 
which  they  were  written. 

Where  there  are  different  versions  of  the  same 
narrative  or  where  two  or  more  have  been  com- 
bined together— as  is  often  the  ease  in  the  first 
twelve  books  of  the  Old  Testament— it  is  impor- 
tant that  the  originally  distinct  versions  be  printed  side  by  side, 


(3)  A compara- 
tive presentation 
of  its  original 
sources. 


THE  STUDENT'S  OLD  TESTAMENT 


as  in  a harmony,  that  they  may  be  studied  comparatively  and  as 
independent  literary  units. 

The  third  essential  is  a clear,  vivid,  dignified 
ac/transiation6*"  translation,  which  will  represent  not  merely  the 
words  but  also  the  ideas,  the  spirit,  and  the 
beauty  of  the  original,  and  which  will  put  the  reader,  unac- 
quainted with  Hebrew,  in  possession  of  the  latest  contributions 
of  philology,  exegesis,  and  theology. 


The  fourth  is  a clear  literary  analysis,  which  will 
ary  anliysis111**'  ma^e  it  possible  readily  to  trace  the  logical  thought 
of  a story,  law,  sermon,  or  poem,  and  to  note  the 
relation  of  the  different  parts  to  each  other  and  to  the  whole. 

(Si  illuminating  Finally  concise,  lucid  notes  are  demanded,  which 
introductions  and  will  at  once  present  the  historical  background 
and  the  critical,  geographical,  and  archaeological 
data  required  to  illuminate  the  obscurities  of  the  text,  without 
distracting  attention  from  its  beauty  and  thought. 

Aims  and  plan  These  five  absolute  essentials  the  Students'  Old 
of  the  student’s  Testament  aims  to  supply  in  the  fullest  measure 
Old  Testament.  ancj  m0st  direct  and  usable  form.  The  gen- 

eral plan  is  unique  in  its  simplicity  and  economy  of  space.  By 
combining  a lucid,  scholarly  translation,  a logical  and  chrono- 
logical classification,  and  a critical  and  a literary  analysis  of  the 
text  with  brief  introductions  and  notes  at  the  foot  of  the  page, 
the  reader  is  at  once  placed  in  command  of  the  practical  results 
of  modern  biblical  research,  many  of  which  are  otherwise  found 
only  in  cumbersome  technical  works,  intelligible  only  to  the 
specialist. 

The  sane,  careful  scholarship  and  the  reverent 
constructive  spirit  of  the  author  are  already 
known  to  a wide  circle  of  Bible  students  through  his  History  of 
the  Hebrew  People  and  his  volumes  in  the  Messages  of  the  Bible. 
The  present  extensive  work  is  the  result  of  years  of  preparation, 
in  which  he  has  also  been  able  to  profit  by  the  generous  sugges- 
tions and  criticisms  of  a large  number  of  biblical  scholars  and 


Its  origin. 


THE  STUDENT’S  OLD  TESTAMENT 

practical  teachers.  The  whole  has  been  prepared  to  meet  not 
theoretical  but  practical  needs  and  has  been  tested  at  each  point 
in  university  and  Bible  classes. 

The  work  embodies  the  positive  conclusions  of 
its  point  of  view  many  hundreds  of  earnest  critical  scholars, 

who  have  during  the  past  two  centuries  been 
grappling  with  the  intricate  problems  of  the  Old  Testament.  For 
the  first  time  in  its  history  the  various  versions  of  its  more  im- 
portant stories  and  historical  records  are  printed  throughout  in 
parallel  columns  so  that  they  can  be  readily  studied  in  approxi- 
mately their  original  form.  In  the  introductions  and  foot-notes 
the  biblical  data  upon  which  these  results  are  based  are  cogently 
presented  so  that  the  ordinary  Bible  reader  can  readily  under- 
stand and  estimate  their  significance.  Where  the  positions  are 
established  the  fact  is  indicated,  and  where  there  is  still  uncer- 
tainty this  is  also  frankly  stated.  When  at  times  the  author’s 
conclusions  differ  from  those  of  the  majority  of  scholars  the 
reasons  for  the  departure  are  fully  outlined. 

To  the  ordinary  conservative  biblical  student, 
value  *ract,cal  who  rejects  or  views  with  alarm  the  critical  posi- 
tions of  modern  Old  Testament  teachers,  an  op- 
portunity is  offered,  for  the  first  time,  of  ascertaining  just  what 
those  positions  are  and  the  chief  reasons  therefor.  To  many  it 
will  be  a genuine  relief  to  find  that  the  foundations  of  Christian 
faith,  instead  of  being  destroyed,  are  simply  being  laid  on  a 
deeper  and  broader  historical  basis,  and  that  the  newer  methods 
of  interpretation  are  supremely  helpful  in  gaining  a true  knowl- 
edge of  the  eternal  messages  of  the  Bible.  To  the  rapidly  increas- 
ing body  of  progressive  Bible  readers,  who  accept  the  principles 
and  in  general  appreciate  the  practical  value  of  critical  biblical 
research,  this  clear,  definite  presentation  of  its  more  important 
fruits  cannot  fail  to  be  most  welcome.  It  furnishes  to  the  his- 
torian the  data  for  the  easy  reconstruction  of  biblical  history, 
to  the  literary  student  the  basis  for  a new  understanding  and 
appreciation  of  the  wonderful  literature  of  the  Old  Testament, 
and  to  the  pastor,  the  Sunday-school  teacher,  the  parent,  and 
the  individual  reader  positive  religious  facts  and  teachings,  the 


THE  STUDENT'S  OLD  TESTAMENT 

want  of  which  is  being  strongly  felt  in  this  age,  when  destructive 
conclusions  are  much  in  evidence.  Above  all  the  Student's  Old 
Testament  presents  those  foundations — laid  bare  through  the 
untiring  labors  of  generations  of  Christian  scholars  and  by  the 
faithful  application  of  scientific  method — upon  which  Old  Testa- 
ment interpretation  and  doctrine  promise  in  the  future  to  rest. 

No  effort  or  expense  has  been  spared  to  make  this  work  a com- 
plete manual  for  class-room  study,  for  reading,  and  for  reference. 
Each  volume  is  complete  in  itself,  embodying  all  the  cognate  Old 
Testament  and  apocryphal  literature  in  its  given  field.  A detailed 
table  of  contents,  index,  page-headings,  and  cross-references  facil- 
itate its  use  by  primary  as  well  as  advanced  readers. 

Each  volume  is  also  fully  equipped  with  thoroughly  modern 
topographical  and  historical  maps,  which  are  introduced  in  con- 
nection with  the  literature  of  each  period.  Comparative  chrono- 
logical charts  make  it  possible  to  trace  readily  the  growth  and 
approximate  dates  of  the  Old  Testament  and  apocryphal  writ- 
ings in  connection  with  the  events  and  movements  which  deter- 
mined their  form  and  which  in  turn  they  record.  Tables  of 
weights  and  measures  and  carefully  selected  and  detailed  bibli- 
ographies, introduced  in  connection  with  each  epoch,  supply  both 
elementary  and  advanced  students  with  a complete  equipment 
for  intelligent  reading  and  fruitful  study. 


i 


*; 


■ 


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